Knight Of Equestria
by SupraMcPringles
Summary: Without us, there is no hate. There is no anger, no vengeance, and no destruction. We disguise our true selves with false truths and empty words, and yet we prosper. We are destined to never realize our faults until it no longer matters. This is what it means to be human.
1. Prologue

Knight of Equestria: Prologue

Growing up, I was always told that I was destined for greatness. I never really understood it back then, but as the years went on it became fairly obvious. I was a prodigy. Everything I tried to do, I was good at. Because of that I was spoiled and exploited at the same time. I wish I would have realized it back then. Maybe I would've stopped and things would've happened differently. But I didn't. I didn't stop my childish addiction to praise. I didn't stop myself from letting my ego swell and engulf me. I didn't stop myself from caring.

If I had realized it sooner I could have avoided this pain. I wouldn't have cared, and moving on would be simple. My heart is heavy with regret and sadness. I've no one to confide in here. I am alone, the way the rest of the world has left me. In a way, it's like I died, too. Perhaps this is also my fault. It's been five months, and no one's come by since the end of July. I probably drove them away. No family, no friends.

Not that it matters now, anyway. My entire life up until this point has virtually been worthless. It's like I never even existed. Maybe that's for the best. I don't feel like living anymore.

I need to sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 1: Accident

In a small, quiet town nestled between a great forest and a looming castle, sat an equally quiet library. Within it's walls sat a young genius and her faithful assistant. They were up later then usual, surrounded by piles of books and stacks of paper. She was flipping through a rather large book until she found what she was looking for.

"I've found it!" she exclaimed "I've found the spell!"

Her assistant, however, was much less excited about her discovery.

"Uh... I don't know about this, Twilight. The instructions are kinda… weird."

She scanned her eyes over the page again.

"... 'Must be performed at approximately midnight with complete and utter concentration.' That doesn't sound so bad, Spike. What time is it?"

"It'll be midnight in about ten minutes."

"Well we're just in time, then."

She began clearing a space in the center of the room, levitating books and papers out of the way, all the while looking over the page once again.

"Although it is a pretty advanced spell. Stand behind me, just in case."

He did as she said, and she closed her eyes to begin concentrating her magical energy. After a few seconds, a small, purple, glowing sphere appeared above the spot she had cleared. Before long, the sphere started to grow. She could feel the strain on her mind as she continued to focus. The sphere eventually formed itself into an oval, glowing an intense white in the center.

After awhile the center began to display an image. It was showing an odd creature, wrapped in black with what seemed to be book resting on it, and it appeared to be sleeping. The image in the oval quickly faded, and began showing a spiraling blue vortex with something flying through it. This faded as well as the caster began to lose control. Her eyes snapped open as a blinding white light escaped from them, until the oval unexpectedly collapsed in on itself for a mere second, then exploded violently in a spectacular display of light and sound. The shockwave sent the pair flying into a bookshelf nearby.

A silence then fell over the mess of a library. She dug her way out of a pile of books and rubbed her head in pain.

"Ugh... Are you okay, Spike?"

She looked around for her young assistant. He was lying just behind her, unconscious from the impact. Before she could check on him, however, she saw something move in the corner of her eye. She looked over to spot where the oval was just moments ago. In its place rested a lone figure on the floor. It was wearing black cloth, which offset its pale skin. The more she analyzed the thing on her floor, the more confused she became. Its anatomy was vastly different from her own and more similar to that of an ape. She began to move closer.

As far as she could tell, it was breathing. She had intended to wake the creature, to make sure it was okay and try to communicate with it, but curiosity and fear made her hesitate. She continued to stare at it until she noticed a small gray book resting on top of it. Delicately, she levitated the book from its assumed owner and opened it to the first page. It seemed to be a journal of some sort, and it was in her native language.

_"I'm not entirely sure why I'm doing this. My aunt gave me this journal, told me to vent and what-not. I don't think writing will ease any pain, but I suppose I can try."_

At the bottom of the page was the name of its owner as well as what she assumed was the date it was written.

_"Matthew Nabal, 7/18/2012"_

Before she could turn the page, she heard a noise from across the room. Her assistant had regained conscienceness and knocked over more books whilst getting up. She quickly glanced back at the creature on the floor, afraid that itmay have heard that as well. To her shock, it's eyes were open and staring into her own.


	3. Chapter 2

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 2: Dream

Deep violet eyes were now staring into a pair of intensely dark brown ones. Her first reaction was to back away, or shriek in terror and surprise. All she could do, however, was stand there, frozen with fear, gazing into the darkest eyes she'd ever seen. The creature didn't move either, never taking it's stare off of her own.

He hadn't expected this. He was woken up by the sound of something dropping and now something was looming over him, staring at him. It had odd, purple fur, with eyes of the same hue. Its mouth was hanging open, seemingly from surprise, and its eyes were locked on his. Their apparent staring contest was cut short when a small shriek was heard from across the room. The creature looming over him turned its head toward that direction. Then he heard a voice.

"T-t-twilight, what is that thing?'

The creature turned its attention back to him.

"U-um... Are you alright?"

This thing looming over him was concerned about his safety. He glanced around the room he was in; quickly discovering that it wasn't his own. Where was he, how did he get there? In any case, he didn't feel any pain or discomfort.

"Yes... I believe so."

She let out a sigh of relief. The creature spoke her language and didn't seem to be hostile. Judging by its voice, she guessed it was male.

"Oh, uh... Good."

He sat up and began to look around the library. His dark, fast eyes seemed to examine everything in the room before settling back on her.

_"So many books... Probably a library. Everything's a bit too colorful, though." _he thought._ "Ah, and this strange little creature... A horse? More pony-sized, though... With a horn? A... Unicorn? Wait, no, it also has wings. What's the technical term for that? Winged-Unicorn? Horned-Pegasus? And it spoke to me. A talking Winged-Unicorn. In a library. That fact in mind, I'm probably dreaming. Lucidly." _he turned his attention back to the aforementioned Unicorn. _"I think I'll let this one run its course. My interest is piqued."_

"If you don't mind me asking, where exactly am I?" he said.

She seemed a bit calmer now, giving him a kind smile.

"Equestria. Ponyville to be exact."

He gave a small smirk. The thought of him dreaming up such horse-themed nonsense amused him. It was then that he noticed a small, quivering purple mass behind one of the Unicorn's hind legs. It appeared scaly and was fearfully clutching at her leg. Perhaps a pet? He ignored it and continued his conversation.

"Alright. Would you mind telling me how I got here?"

"Oh, um... I'm not exactly sure." she replied. "I was just trying a new spell and..."

The small quivering purple creature was now peering around her leg with a mixture of fear and curiosity in its green eyes. It just stared at him, bewilderment plain on its face. He once again tried to ignore it.

"Interesting." he replied. For some reason or another, he gave a dream horse magic power. He decided on evaluating his mental state whenever he awoke.

"I just don't know what could've gone wrong..." she said, levitating a book up to her face somehow and flipping through its pages."Maybe I overcharged it? No, I'm sure I had complete control..."

Matt brought himself to his feet while she rambled on about her 'magic'. He easily doubled her stature, which he assumed was something around three feet. She dug her face out of the book she was reading, seemingly remembering his existence.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle." she gestured to the small purple reptile cowering behind her. "And this is Spike."

He choked back a laugh and extended his hand to her.

"Matthew Nabal. It's a pleasure."

Twilight extended a hoof and he grabbed it for a handshake.

She was surprised. The creature, that she now knew as Matthew Nabal, the confirmed owner of the journal she found on him earlier, was polite and well-mannered. His arms didn't end in a hoof or claws, but soft, warm appendages, similar to those on a monkey or ape. Although he wasn't covered in fur, save for a patch on the top of his head that was near shoulder length. His skin was a pale cream-ish hue and his hair was a dark golden-brown.

As soon as they retracted their friendly gesture, a voice was heard from outside a window.

"Hey, Twilight, you alright in there? There was a loud crash near the edge of town and I saw your house flash..."

She recognized the voice immediately; her friend, Rainbow Dash.

He heard the voice from outside and gave a sigh. Now what? Another horse with a blue coat and wings flew in through the window.

"... I figured you probably had something to do wi-"

She stopped dead in her mid-air tracks with a face of obvious surprise. This didn't last for long, however, as she quickly pinned him to the ground, holding him down with her hooves.

"Go get help! I'll hold it here!" she yelled.

Matt just laid there; the sudden shock and pain making him go blank for a moment.

"Rainbow Dash! Get off of him, he's friendly!"

She looked down at him for a few seconds, and turned back to her friend.

"You sure?"

He regained his senses and instantly began wondering how deep he was dreaming considering how bad his back was aching.

"Do you just tackle people you've never met before on a regular basis?" he said.

She gave out a sharp squeal of surprise.

"It talks?"

"Yes, now would you mind getting off of me?"

"Oh... sorry." she said, fluttering off of him and onto the floor.

She stared at him for a few seconds and then turned to Twilight.

"What is it?" she asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, when another voice came from outside the door.

"Twilight? Are you okay? I heard a big loud BOOM! And your house was all, PHWOOSH!"

Another pony, this one pink, came literally bouncing in as Matt recovered from his earlier assault. The moment her large blue eyes noticed him, she let out a gasp and rushed over to him. She began bombarding him with all sorts of questions and was speaking too fast for him to follow.

"Pinkie! Give him some room to breathe!" shouted Twilight.

She did as she was told and backed away from him, targeting Twilight with questions instead.

"Who is he? What is he? Where's he from?" she asked.

"I don't know, he hasn't said yet."

Pinkie turned back to him and asked the same questions. He was beginning to get irritated at this point, but decided to continue to play along.

"My name is Matthew Nabal, my species is referred to as 'human', and I'm from a place called New York. Satisfied?"

The pink one, ironically named Pinkie, nodded her head enthusiastically. The one called Rainbow Dash seemed unimpressed.

"Okay, but, how'd you get here?" she said.

"Excellent question. I woke up here about fifteen minutes ago. So I can't answer you." he said

Twilight had her book open again, and seemingly found the explanation.

"Well..." Twilight began, "I was attempting a spell that creates a dimensional rip that allows you to peer in on other dimensions, like a window..." she paused to continue reading, "I guess instead of a window... I made a door?" she said, smiling sheepishly.

Matt began to toss the idea around that maybe he wasn'tdreaming. He quickly dismissed this thought, however, when he glanced back at the Technicolor ponies before him.

"I would work on finding a solution, but that spell really drained Me." she yawns, "Until I can find a way fix this, you're welcome to stay here."

Spike, who had been silent until now, let out a surprised "What!?" in unison with Rainbow Dash.

"Twilight! You're letting him stay here!? Aren't you worried about what he might do?" said Dash.

Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, was ecstatic.

"Oh oh OH! If you're gonna be staying, that means I get to throw you a welcome party!"

"Pinkie!"

Despite Dash's protests, Pinkie kept rambling on and on about a party to welcome Matt to Ponyville she'd be throwing tomorrow, at a place called 'Sugarcube Corner'. She then took off as quickly as she came.

"A-anyways," Dash began, "You're really going to let him stay here? What if he tries hurt you or something while you're asleep?"

"Dash, if he hasn't tried anything yet, I'm sure it'll be just fine."

"Fine." she said, "But I'm staying here to keep an eye on him."

Twilight gave a sigh of defeat.

"Fine, but don't make too much noise for no good reason. We'll see you in the morning." she said as she and Spike began to walk toward their shared room.

On her way to her room, she noticed the grey book she was reading earlier was near her door. She must've been so shocked she flung it across the room. She wanted to give it to its rightful owner, but curiosity overcame her and she took it with her.

As soon as Twilight and Spike were gone, Rainbow Dash returned her attention to Matt.

"If you try anything, I'll be on you faster than you can blink."

Matt was sick of it at this point and just wanted to go back to reality.

"Yes ma'm." was all he said as he lay himself down on one of the library's couches, the pony called Rainbow Dash taking the one opposite him. As he closed his eyes he noticed that she was staring a hole through him with her intensely hostile glare. He just tried to ignore it and return to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 3: Party

His eyes snapped open when he heard the screams. The screams of a woman in pain. He found himself in a circle of fire and metal chunks. He could see the figure that the screams were coming from, set ablaze by the surrounding flame. Any attempt to move was halted by the large piece of metal that covered his legs. He couldn't help her. He couldn't save her. He closed his eyes in desperation, trying to make everything go away. His wish was granted, but from an unlikely source.

"H-hey, are you okay?"

He awoke with a gasp. He was breathing heavily, desperately trying to regulate his breath and calm himself. He's had that dream before. Many times, in fact.

After he sufficiently calmed himself, Matt turned his attention to the voice that woke him. To his shock, across the room, was the sky blue, rainbow maned horse from last night's other dream. She was looking at him suspiciously, but also with concern.

"Are you okay over there? You're making a lot of noise..."

He could feel his heart begin to race as his mind did the same.

_"This... This isn't possible." _he thought, _"This was a dream, nothing more." _he took a look around and found that he was still in the library from the dream, except that it was morning now. _"Maybe I've finally cracked. That's the only rational explanation. I'm insane."_

As he continued to have a rational meltdown, Rainbow Dash had gotten up to inspect him closer.

"Hey, do you even hear me?"

Her words had made him pause his mental breakdown and stare at her with a look of confusion and fear. After a few seconds he nodded his head slowly.

"Bad dream or something?" she asked, stretching her legs and wings.

He quickly concluded that he must have woken her during his nightmare. He merely nodded his head again.

"It's still pretty early. Twilight and Spike aren't up yet..."

Matt was still going through possible scenarios in his head, trying to find a rational explanation to his current surroundings. The only possibilities that seemed more and more logical were that this was reality somehow, or he had lost his mind. He began leaning toward the latter when he remembered something the one called Twilight had said last he saw her.

_"I was attempting a spell that creates a dimensional rip that allows you to peer in on other dimensions, like a window... I guess instead of a window... I made a door?"_

_"No. Dimensional travel is just science fiction. We don't even know if there are other dimensions. Then again, that would account for most of the current situation and it would mean I can still trust in my sanity. All I need to know is how... Wait, how was that purple one levitating that book? Magic or something?"_

As questions kept entering and leaving his mind, Rainbow Dash merely watched him in confusion.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're still kinda... twitchy."

Lost in his thoughts, he had forgotten that he wasn't alone. He had also forgotten that his mind and body were still in shock from his nightmare, combined with waking up in a place he thought was a dream. He realized that the night before his behavior was radically different and he was now likely to draw even more suspicion from the blue Pegasus who seemed to already distrust him.

"Sorry, I... I guess the shock finally caught up with me. It's a bit unnerving to wake up somewhere so... different from your home." he said whilst sitting up.

Her eyes shifted a bit and her expression lightened.

"Oh c'mon, how different can it be?"

He smirked at her question.

"Well, for one, the horses didn't talk."

"Really? You have ponies that can't talk?"

Ponies? They were in fact half the size of a normal horse. Pony really was more appropriate.

"Not exactly. Our version of your species is about twice your size. They can't have wings or a horn either. Nor are they as... colorful. And no, they can't talk."

Rainbow Dash gave a wide-eyed expression and her ears drooped back a little.

"Seriously?"

"Mhmm. Humans are the dominate species where I come from. What are they considered here?"

"Beats me. I've never even heard of a 'human' before you."

_"No humans? At all? Does that mean ponies are the replacement? And where does that leave cats?"_ he thought. He decided to ponder that later and continue his conversation.

"Interesting. What else can you tell me about this place? I'd like to know at least something about my new, temporary domain."

Though hesitant, Dash began to tell him virtually everything he needed to know in order to make his stay easier. She explained that there are three different types of ponies, Earth Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi, and that the town they were in was a part of a country called Equestria. She also explained that the country was a monarchy under the rule of two sisters, Princesses Luna and Celestia, and that herself and her five friends were the 'Elements of Harmony' and often protected their small town of Ponyville and the capital city of Canterlot.

She then took the time to go into great detail about herself and her accomplishments.

"About two and a half years ago, I won Best Young Flyer in Equestria for my awesome sonic rainboom. And then, not too long ago I became top of my class in the Wonderbolts Academy. And I have a couple of novels I'm working on..."

She continued on for quite some time, while Matt just listened in fascination. But one thing was gnawing at him.

"Wait, a sonic rainboom? Is that anything like a sonic boom?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. It's kinda in the name."

"So what you're saying is that you've broken the sound barrier with no protective equipment and somehow stopped yourself without sustaining any major injuries?"

"Yep."

"That's... astounding." he said. _"And impossible." _

Her mouth turned into a prideful grin.

"I know, right?"

It had been nearly an hour since she began talking, and Twilight wasn't awake yet. Rainbow was, probably for the first time, tired of talking about herself and decided to learn more about her new acquaintance.

"So, uh, why don't ya tell me a little about yourself?"

Matt was slightly surprised. She had seemed perfectly content talking about herself.

"Ah, well, my life is really very boring."

That wasn't the whole truth. He just didn't want to talk about it.

"It can't be too boring. My friend Applejack kicks trees all day."

Persistence. He somewhat expected this from her. She seemed quite headstrong.

"Well, growing up I was usually more invested in my studies than anything else."

"Oh, so you're like Twilight."

That made sense to him. He assumed that this was Twilight's library, and she did in fact live here. She must be quite studious. However, Dash wasn't finished.

"Does that make you an egghead too?"

A what?

"... I suppose that's one way of putting it."

"It's no big deal. I read a lot too, ya know."

They continued talking about reading and Dash's feats, among other things.

Twilight Sparkle awoke to the sound of voices from downstairs. She recognized one as Rainbow Dash, but couldn't quite place the other. She then saw a gray book in front of the bookshelf nearest her bed. The happenings of the previous night came back to her; accidentally summoning a friendly creature from its home dimension and Rainbow Dash staying to keep an eye on him. She remembers the creature, named Matthew Nabal, had this book resting on his chest when he arrived here. It was a diary of sorts, and she couldn't resist her curiosity and had taken the book to read later. Now was a good as time as any. She felt bad, but she needed to know more about her new house guest. She opened it to the second entry.

_"I had a visit today. My father's best friend and his daughter. I've known both of them since I was very young, and they were some of the few people I called 'friends'. He wanted to know if I was alright here alone, suggesting that I go and stay with them and their family. I told him that I just wanted to be left alone, that I preferred it this way anyway. He knew I was lying, but respected my choice anyway. His daughter didn't say a word while they were here. She just looked at me with sad eyes. I suppose she felt sorry for me. But I don't need her pity, or anyone else's."_

At the bottom, the page was signed and the date was marked.

_"Matthew Nabal, 7/21/12"_

Twilight was surprised. He had seemed so polite and well-mannered, not at all like the person who wrote those words. The words made him seem anti-social, but she could still hear him chatting with Rainbow Dash in the next room. Was he putting on an act? She kept these thoughts in mind as she descended the stairs and opened the door.

The door to Twilight's room opened, and the Horned-Pegasus emerged. Rainbow Dash turned to her immediately.

"Hey Twilight, you were right. This guy's pretty cool."

Matt smiled to himself. He had succeeded in earning her trust. Maybe he could get some sleep without the feeling of being watched now.

"Good morning, Miss Twilight." he said. Judging from what Rainbow had told him, they were a group of six really close friends. One down, five to go.

"Good morning. And please, just Twilight is fine." she said. "Did you sleep alright? I imagine it couldn't have been easy."

"To be honest, the realization didn't really hit me until I woke up. It's still pretty difficult to wrap my head around, though."

"I'm sure Pinkie Pie will be able to help you adjust. And you'll have plenty of time to meet everypony at the party later."

He remembered Pinkie spouting some nonsense about a party yesterday, something about welcoming him to town. He saw this more as a nuisance than an actual event. A thought crossed his mind. Exactly how big was this town? How many people would be there?

"Oh, yes, a-about that. How many... guests... do you think will be there?" he asked, preparing for the worst.

Rainbow Dash interjected before Twilight could.

"Knowing Pinkie, everypony in Ponyville'll show up."

Fantastic. His first day and he already has to deal with one of his greatest fears.

Seeing the distress on his face, Twilight tried to calm him.

"I wouldn't worry about it, I'm sure everypony will be happy to meet you."

_"Or they could assault me in fear and panic, like your friend here did." _he thought, but decided to keep his snarky comments to himself and just nodded his head.

"It's already noon. The party's starting soon." said Rainbow.

Twilight seemed a bit embarrassed.

"I guess I overslept..." she chuckled."I'll go wake Spike up and we'll go."

She ascended the stairs back to her room to get her small reptilian companion, leaving Rainbow Dash and Matt alone again.

"So, Dash, if you don't mind me calling you that, how many is, uh, 'every pony' in Ponyville'?"

She thought about it for a moment, placing a hoof under her chin.

"I dunno, somewhere over a hundred."

Matt could feel his stomach start to churn and his eyes go wide.

"A-a-a hundred, huh? G-great."

"You okay? You're getting twitchy again."

"I'll be fine." he said. _"If I don't vomit from the nervous tension and paranoia, that is."_

Before he knew it, they were on the way to their destination. Spike still seemed nervous around him, and Rainbow Dash took off ahead of them. It was an awkward walk. They kept attracting attention from passersby, which Matt had expected. Though they weren't always staring at him, but at Twilight Sparkle, who was walking a few feet ahead of him. Was she a celebrity or something? He decided to inquire about it later and just focused on trying to keep his composure with all those eyes on him. The walk was made worse by the fact that he hadn't any shoes and he was sure it was late autumn.

They arrived at the shop named Sugarcube Corner and Twilight went inside, motioning for Matt to follow. He took a deep breath and entered. The ceiling was quite high despite its short residents, and the room was filled with ponies. Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns in all sorts of different colors were chatting and eating and the like, but they all stopped dead whenever he entered the room. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found and Twilight and Spike were standing next to a white Unicorn and an orange Earth Pony wearing a Stetson-style cowboy hat, both of which were staring at him in bewilderment, much like the rest of the room was. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Before he could, however, the silence was broken by Pinkie Pie, who had just noticed he had arrived.

"Oh, you're here! Come on in!"

She quickly got behind him and pushed him further into the room. At this point, the ponies had started talking again, most of them about him, he assumed. Pinkie had pushed him over to a table that had a huge spread of varying types of sweets, all the while rambling on far too quickly for him to understand.

Twilight merely watched as her new friend was dragged into the party by Pinkie Pie. The way he totally froze worried her, so she'd have to check on him in a little while. Her two friends, Rarity and Applejack, had just stopped staring and turned to her.

"What in tarnation is that thing?" said Applejack.

"That's the 'person' I was just telling you about. His name is Matthew Nabal, and I accidentally brought him here yesterday."

"Well, that's mighty fine sugarcube, but what is he?"

"He says he's called a 'human'."

"A hu-what? Y'know, that doesn't exactly answer my question..."

Her other friend, Rarity, began to inquire as well.

"How on earth did you bring him here, Twilight?" she said.

"Oh, well, I was trying this new spell I came across and..."

Rarity and Applejack both looked at her with an 'of course' look, and Twilight just sighed.

"Look, it doesn't matter, he's friendly."

Before she could continue, Pinkie had shoved Matt over to them and began introducing him to her other friends.

Matt had just been pushed all around the room, being introduced to nearly everyone there by Pinkie Pie, whom he now began to dislike immensely. She finally stopped for good when she pushed him over to Twilight and the two ponies he saw earlier.

"And this is Applejack, and this is Rarity. There, now you know everypony!"

He was trembling at this point, and desperately trying to keep himself collected. He felt something grab his right hand, and shake it vigorously.

"Howdy pardner!"

She seemed quickly accepting, not making a point to ask him any questions or cut right to the point. He also noted that she had a southern accent. The language here seemed identical to his own. When Applejack let go of his hand, the other pony extended her hoof hesitantly.

"Hello, it's a... pleasure."

He extended his hand and grabbed her hoof softly, shaking for only for a few seconds.

"I-it's nice to meet you." he said weakly.

Just then, Rainbow Dash had entered the room, along with a scared-looking yellow Pegasus. When she saw him, she gasped, but didn't stare. She just followed her friend over to them, all the while avoiding eye contact.

Matt felt a tad at ease. At least someone he knew was here now. She flew over and dropped down next to him, the other Pegasus right behind her.

"Hey Matt, this is Fluttershy. She and I go way back."

The Pegasus called Fluttershy let out a soft and fearful 'hello' and nothing else. Matt responded in kind as another awkward silence ensued. Applejack was the one to break it this time.

"So, uh, Matt was it? Why don't ya'll tell us a bit about yourself?"

Why was it everyone he met here so interested in him?

"I... suppose I can do that." he said. As much as he hated talking about himself, he thought it would help him relax. He took a seat on a nearby stool. "I'm from a really big city called New York. M-my father was an esteemed business-man and my... my mother was a retired veterinarian. I have two sisters who moved out when I was younger. I graduated top of my class earlier this year after twelve years of education. Anything else?"

The group before him was stunned. He was clearly uncomfortable, but quickly listed off facts about his life as if they were just that; facts. He hadn't paused to elaborate on anything he said. Twilight, on the other hand, was just curious the moment he said 'education'.

"Twelve years? That sounds similar to the grade system we use." she said. "What did the curriculum consist of?"

"Mainly mathematics and literature with a few different kinds of sciences mixed in. Chemistry, biology, astronomy, etcetera."

"What about magic? Are there special courses for magic training?"

Magic? He recalled her talking about spells and such earlier, even citing a spell as the method he was brought here.

"No. We don't really have 'magic' where I come from. However we do have fairly advanced technology, which is 'magic' in itself."

Twilight seemed disappointed that she couldn't discuss magic, but was still eager to learn all she could and Matt was beginning to see why Dash referred to her as an 'egghead'. Before they could continue their educational and technical jargon, however, they were interrupted by Applejack trying to get back on topic.

"Anyways, how're ya taking to Ponyville?"

He paused for a moment to pool all the information he was told by Dash and his own observations together. The town seemed old, and from what he's seen their greatest technological feat were trains. It was quiet. Peaceful, even.

"I do quite like this place. The air's much cleaner than where I come from, and the residents seem nice enough." he said.

Applejack wasn't too keen on his machine-like responses, but let it slide because she didn't know how his kind was supposed to talk.

"Well, uh, that's good."

Another silence. Unexpectedly, it was Rarity who piped up next.

"Pardon me, darling, but what in Equestria are you wearing?"

He looked down and saw that he was still in his solid black long-sleeved button up pajamas, minus any type of footwear.

"Clothes...?"

"Hmm..." she began to look him up and down. "No, no, no, dear, black simply isn't your color. I think you'd look good in a nice, vibrant red. You really should come by my boutique and let me take care of you."

"Oh, uh... okay?"

Everyone else in their little corner of the room began giggling at their little exchange.

"Sorry 'bout that, sugarcube. She does that to everypony." said Applejack.

He smiled while Rarity frowned at her friend's comment. They really did seem like close friends. Part of his mind reminded him that his days of caring for other beings were over. He would only earn their trust so his short stay was comfortable. He could watch them, though. Watch the interaction he was starved for.

Hours passed, and Matt found himself relaxing more than he had in months. The party had started to wind down, thankfully. He had learned quite a lot about his new 'friends'. Rarity was a dress maker, Applejack a farmer, Rainbow a 'weather-pony', whatever that meant, and Pinkie Pie, surprisingly enough, was a talented baker. At this point he found himself relaxing in a corner, watching the actions of those attending. Studying, in a sense

Just then, he noticed a pony wearing a bow tie he'd not seen before making its way through the crowd. It was somehow holding a small bronze-ish rod in one of its hooves and was pointing it at everyone it passed. The tip of it would glow and make a small noise, and then it'd move onto the next pony. When it noticed him, it trotted over quickly and began doing the same to him. It waved its hoof around until It flicked the rod abruptly, making the small tool extend. It stopped suddenly with a grin on its face.

"What universe did you spawn from?" it said in a sarcastic British man's voice. It caught him off guard, seeing how at this point he thought the entire species was female.

"… Certainly not this one." he replied.

"It speaks English! Because of the tardis, no doubt." he said, seemingly excited.

At this point, being referred to as an 'it' had gotten insulting.

"I'm not an 'it', my name is-"

"You're a human." the British pony said matter-of-factly."A human, on a planet of all ponies. Brilliant."

Now that caught his interest.

"Yes, but how would you know what I am? More importantly, who are you?" Matt asked.

The pony straightened his bow tie.

"I'm the Doctor."

Short of not making much sense, this served only to bewilder Matt further.

"Doctor… what, exactly?"

"Just the Doctor."

Just then, the annoying pink mass of energy known as Pinkie Pie was bouncing around them, once again babbling on near incomprehensibly. The Doctor, however, seemed to have no problem understanding every word she said.

"Oh, he didn't introduce himself."

"_Not like I had a chance to." _Matt thought.

Pinkie spurted out more gibberish, and 'The Doctor' adopted a grim expression.

"No, I never have…"

The clear tone of melancholy in his voice suggested whatever she asked him was a sore subject. Pinkie stopped her bouncing and looked down, unsure of what to say next. A yell was heard behind her.

"Pinkie!"

Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and looked towards the voice. Twilight stood a few feet behind her, looking at her with disapproving eyes.

"I'm sorry about that, she really likes meeting new people." said Twilight. 

"Tell me about it..." Matt muttered.

"It's fine. I once knew someone who could talk just as fast." he said.

"Right.So, uh, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I haven't seen you around before, what's your name?"

"I'm The Doctor."

"Doctor... who?"

"It's just The Doctor."

She stared at him blankly for a few seconds before blinking.

"Okay then..."

Before any kind of conversing could be continued, two ponies grabbed The Doctor from either side. One was a cream color and the other a mint-green. They began to drag him out of the building, all the while whisper-yelling at him. Twilight watched them until they were gone.

"Alright, that was just weird." she said.

"Agreed." said Matt.

"What was he talking to you about?"

"Something called a 'tardis'. Everything else seemed like crazed rambling."

"Well, on that note, we should be heading back. It's getting kind of late and Spike needs his sleep."

The dragon in question was already asleep near empty plates of Pinkie's confections. Twilight scooped him up onto her back, on top of her wings. Matt had to wonder how uncomfortable that probably was.

She said goodbye to her friends and they departed. The night was beginning to set in, and the temperature had dropped. Matt's feet were starting to feel numb. He'd have to ask about getting some shoes later.

When they got back to the library, Twilight put Spike into his small bed at the foot of her own.

"There's a storage room you can use." she said to him. "We should have an extra bed somewhere in there."

He smiled sincerely.

"Thank you. I really appreciate your hospitality to an odd stranger."

"Oh, you're not a stranger anymore. You're a friend now."

He chuckled to himself. The rate at which these ponies accepted another was astounding.

"Ah, one more thing. Where's your bathroom?"

"Second door on the left."

"Right. Well goodnight, Twilight."

"Goodnight."

He opened the door to the bathroom and was horrified by the lack of something very important. A toilet. He'd just have to hold it.

Matt went to the room that would be serving as his and quickly found the bed Twilight was talking about. It was rather small, but he eventually found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep, thoughts of the day's events swirling in his mind.


	5. Chapter 4

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 4: Bonding Through Knowledge

The sun began creeping over the horizon, blanketing the small town of Ponyville in its warm glow. Matthew Nabal awoke to the sound of birds singing, something nearly unknown to him. The noise he was used to waking up to were the bustling sounds of a busy city. Struck with confusion, he began to remember what had happened during the last two days. Trans-dimensional travel, ponies, a particularly agonizing party. The bed he had awoken in was a tad small for him, and he could feel an ache beginning in his back.

He rose and stretched, trying to work out the kink in his back to no avail. There wasn't a clock in his room, but judging from the position of the sun, it was around seven o'clock in the morning. His gracious hosts probably weren't awake yet. Since he would be here for an undetermined amount of time, he'd guess a week or so, he thought best to read up on his current residence's culture. He went out into the main chamber of the library, gazing at the plethora of knowledge before him. Half of the books were knocked off their shelves, resting in piles in front of them. He grabbed a book from a nearby pile entitled 'The Encyclopedia of Easy Equestrian Ecology' and began to read.

Twilight Sparkle awoke before her scheduled time to the sound of floorboard creaks throughout her old wooden home. She assumed her new house guest was up and about. Spike was still asleep and she opted to let him stay that way while she went and got more acquainted with her new friend. She was the first pony to see a human, and wanted to learn as much about him as possible. She telekinetically made her bed and brushed her mane before proceeding to the main room of the library.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she spotted Matt flipping through the pages of a moderately sized book. He didn't turn to face her, so she thought he was immersed in his reading. She drew closer until she was peering over his shoulder, eager to see what he was reading about.

He couldn't help but be amused. His guess that ponies replaced humans in nearly every aspect was accurate, although their anatomy wasn't the exact same to equines from his home. He was absorbed in the influx of new knowledge that he didn't notice the purple pony standing right behind him.

"What chapt-"

Before she could finish her sentence Matt had jumped from surprise and dropped his book. He turned to her, eyes full of fear before realizing it was her and calming down. She couldn't help but giggle before apologizing profusely.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought you knew I was here."

He probably should've heard her moving or felt her breath on his shoulder, but he was far too enthralled to pay any mind to anything else. He quickly tried to play off his unnatural reaction.

"It's perfectly fine; I'm still not... situated yet. I'm still a bit jumpy..."

After giving it some thought, if his assumption of her intelligence was correct, she'd probably noticed his behavior around crowds and surprises and would probably ask about it.

"Is something wrong?"

He hated being right. There was no point in lying to her.

"Well, not that it's a major concern, but I suffer from-"

"Some type of phobia?"

His assessment of her intellect was correct again.

"Yes. Like I said, it's not a major concern."

"No wonder you were shaking at the party yesterday. You should've said something, we could've had a smaller one." she said, concern in her voice.

He was beginning to wonder how obvious his faults were.

"Well, I, uh... A-anyways, these books are quite fascinating. Is there any that you recommend I should read? To help settle in?"

Her expression changed immediately from concern to elation.

"You should definitely check out 'The Big Book of Equestrian History'. Oh, and 'The Scientific Study of Magic', that's one of my favorites."

He smiled as she went on. She was just as passionate about learning and information as he was. At least if he was stuck there for a few days he was stuck with someone he could tolerate.

The next few hours were spent mutually reading with occasional conversing. Twilight said she had some studying to catch up on and Matt continued to study Equestrian history and culture. Apparently their monarchs, the princesses Luna and Celestia, have lived for at least one thousand years. It is also unknown where they came from, one passage citing it as 'the place where the sky and earth met', with no mention of parents. For some reason, the older books weren't in pure English, involving another type of lettering in their composition.

They continued on for quite some time, until the serenity of reading was interrupted by a very frantic Spike.

"Twilight! I'm sorry for waking up so late, I'll get started on your breakfast right away!" he said, rushing down the stairs.

"Settle down, Spike. We already ate."

That they did, although Matt couldn't say he was satisfied. The only things ponies seemed to eat were fruits, sweets, and some vegetation. He should've expected the fact that there wouldn't be any meat, seeing as horses were herbivorous. He settled on eating a few apples, which themselves were far sweeter than normal ones.

"We?" he said, confused. He noticed Matt sitting near her, reading intently and seemingly not paying any mind to them. "Oh... him..."

During the few days he'd been there, Spike had seemed nervous and wary around him. Matt could feel the young dragon's eyes on him while he continued to read, ignoring his stare entirely. Provided Spike wouldn't make things difficult, there was no reason to interact with him.

Spike broke off his stare to resume talking to his friend.

"Well... is there anything I can get you?" he said.

"Could you find that book on diplomacy we got last week?"

Spike dashed off to fetch the book. He returned in a few seconds, book in hand.

"Oh, and that one on foreign policy?"

Again, he was gone in an instant and back just as quick.

"Thanks. What about that new book detailing early rule in Equestria?"

This time, Spike grabbed a ladder and rushed over near where Matt was sitting and began climbing. He secured the ladder rather poorly; as it would wobble with every step he took. By the time he found what he was looking for, he had to drop the book to maintain his balance. Matt noticed this, but wasn't fast enough to react. The book collided with his head and fell into his lap. Though upset initially, he glanced at the cover and smirked. It was called 'Equestrian Rulers - A Reference Guide'. He couldn't help but wonder what she'd need a book like that for, seeing as the country has had the same rulers for quite awhile. Spike climbed down and hesitantly took the book from Matt's grasp. After he had, Matt immediately turned his attention back to the open book resting on his lap.

Spike sat the third book down on a small table next to Twilight.

"Alright, what else?" he said.

"Hmm... That's all for now." she said, stacking the books in the order she'd read them.

Spike raised an eyebrow. Twilight usually had him doing a lot more than bringing her just a few books. She seemed to be focusing on fewer things these days.

Twilight had cracked open one of the books and was beginning to read, when she noticed Spike still standing in front of her. He apparently didn't have anything else to do. She had to come up with something to keep him occupied while she was studying. An idea came to her as she glanced over to the quiet figure reading across the room.

"Why don't you go see if Matt needs anything?"

Spike's eyes widened as he shot a look at Matt, then back to her. She gave him an encouraging nod. He gave a sigh and walked over to where the young man sat.

"Uh... h-hey."

Matt's rather enthralling reading session was interrupted by a quivering voice. He lowered the book in his hands to see Spike stood in front of him, with a nervous look in his eyes.

"C-can I get you anything?"

It was Matt's turn to wear a bewildered look. Why would Spike go out of his way to socialize with him? He was clearly frightened and uncomfortable with the situation. He pondered for a few seconds, wondering what could have possessed the young dragon to do such a thing, before realizing that he could use Spike as a reliable book-fetcher.

"Actually, yes. Can you find something on Mechanical Engineering?"

"Mechana-what...?"

"... Industrial technology?"

Spike merely shrugged.

"... Machines."

He seemingly understood that one, and scurried off to retrieve a suitable book. As expected, he returned in a few seconds, handing said book to Matt.

"Thank you."

"... Anything else?"

Matt was slightly annoyed by Spike's unexpected persistence, but decided to humor him.

"Can you get me something on local history? A reference guide, preferably."

He thought such a task would take him a bit longer, but he was gone and back, just as quick as the last time. He had to think of something to challenge him.

"Thanks... What about some type of compendium on pony biology? The bigger, the better."

He thought that would do it, but Spike was gone in an instant, wobbling back with an unnecessarily large, golden-bound book. He sat it down on the small table near them, causing what felt like a small tremor.

"Ah... Well done. You're really quite astute for someone your age."

"Oh, uh... thanks."

Spike seemed calmer now, looking far less terrified than before. Although Matt wasn't necessarily found of the child, he didn't particularly dislike him. He seemed to really enjoy his work as an assistant, which only made Matt wonder how he ended up being an assistant to a librarian in the first place. From his limited knowledge on Dragons, they typically didn't live in Equestria long-term. Spike must've been quite the rarity.

Twilight could hear Spike and Matt having a conversation across the room. She was glad that they were getting along. As she continued studying the governmental structure of early Equestria, a rather large red flag went up in her mind. She hadn't informed princess Celestia of her extra dimensional guest yet. Naturally, she was overcome with panic.

She sprang up from her seat and began pacing back and forth rather irregularly.

Matt and Spike stopped talking and looked over to her, confusion on their faces.

"I haven't told the princess that you're here yet! She'd probably want to see you right away. This is a major scientific discovery..."

She continued running back and forth in the library's main chamber, frantically muttering about things she'd need to do in order to explain the situation properly.

"I'll need to send a letter right away... Oh, and a copy of the spell and the method I used..."

A thought entered her mind. As the first pony to see a human, it would be only fitting that she sent a research paper along with her report to the princess. But, how exactly would she go about asking him to be the subject for a scientific study? She'd have to approach this carefully.

Matt watched Twilight pace back and forth, muttering incomprehensible things to herself. It was amusing to see someone so orderly and organized in such a panicked state. She stopped abruptly however, and turned to him, smiling sheepishly.

"Uh, heha... Do you think you can help with a little project?"


	6. Chapter 5

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 5: The Furthering of Science

Deep within the bowels of the library there was a small makeshift laboratory, which was once the basement. Many exposed roots and machines of various sizes and designs covered the walls. Large glass tubes were filled with unidentifiable liquids. Matt took a moment to breathe it all in; It was magnificent.

Twilight had led him down here after awkwardly asking that he participate in a 'little project', leaving Spike to clean up the place. He initially wanted to deny her request, but found it hard to deny the person providing his home. Besides, how could he stifle the furthering of science?

He was looking around the room, marveling at the amount of equipment she had in such a small place. Twilight was getting out certain things she'd need for writing a detailed report.

"Thanks again for helping me with this." she said as she rummaged through a box in the corner of the room.

"It's no problem, though you haven't explained exactly what we're doing." he said, still standing at the bottom of the stairs.

She dug her head out of the box and levitated a few pieces of paper over to him.

"Something like this. Just so the princess knows what to expect."

The papers she gave him had detailed drawings of various creatures, all accented with various notes. Among them were a Griffon, a Dragon, a Draconaquis, and an insect-like creature labeled Changeling. It would seem that she wanted to catalog him for future reference.

"Ah, I see. I suppose that'll be fine."

She had seemingly found what she was searching for and motioned Matt to approach a small table in the center of the room.

"Now, just place your hoov- er, hands, on here."

The table had four silver half-circle ornaments on it. He placed his wrists in the middle-most two.

_"I wonder why she needs me in this position..." _he thought."_These four silver things look like shackles... or handcuffs."_

Just as he finished his thought, the outer two semi-circles began to glow purple and snapped shut. His arms were locked into position. He couldn't move. He also couldn't see Twilight. His mind began fearfully going through the possibilities.

_"I'm trapped. What does she intend to do with me? I can't hear her, I can't see her..."_ His thoughts began to settle on what he thought was the most probable. His breathing began to pick up. _"Oh no. This is it, isn't it? She's going to..." _he gulps,_ "I should've guessed it. I'd make a better specimen dead."_

"Are you ready?" he heard her ask.

_"Not like this... I always thought I'd be killed in my sleep. But as a research specimen? If only I could break these cuffs..."_

He could see a shadow being cast from behind him, and it was lifting something decently large over his head. He closed his eyes and tried to duck in preparation for the worst.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Matt didn't reply, so she assumed that there was something wrong. She had just finished searching for her readout helmet, which she hadn't used since an incident with Pinkie Pie awhile ago. From her position behind him, she could tell that his body was trembling. She began to lift up the helmet and paused when his head drooped. She delicately lowered it onto his head and then circled to a suitable position in front of him.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

He opened his eyes to see Twilight sitting a few feet in front of him. He felt something on his head and glanced up to investigate. There was a strange kind of headgear adorned with many lights resting on it. He looked back to Twilight, then to the helmet. A wave of realization hit him and he let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh... you just... ha-ha..." he said, trying to recompose himself.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. She was immensely confused at this point.

"I'm fine; I just... had a misconception."

"Are you sure?" she said, still looking mildly confused.

"Yes. It's just... the place I come from is a bit more... hostile. And the, uh... shackles... were a bit unexpected."

She looked a tad embarrassed, almost as if slamming them down was just something she did without noticing.

"Oh, those. Sorry, they just keep you in place so the helmet's reading doesn't get altered by movement. I probably should've said something first." she said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Probably." he said, "It's not a problem, though. You can start."

Her face lit up with joy at his words.

"Alright. I'll start with a few questions." she brought a clipboard to eye level.

Twilight began asking him questions, starting with basic things such as species name, abilities, and behavioral patterns. Matt responded to every question without hesitation, making the process go that much faster. She eventually began circling him and taking notes on physical appearance. She stopped when she noticed an odd mark on his right arm.

"What is that?" she said, moving closer to inspect it. "Some kind of birth mark?"

Matt looked down and his expression darkened. The mark in question was a dark line starting at the base of his palm and traveling up most of his forearm.

"No, that's... That's a scar."

He stared at it for a few seconds after that, seemingly lost in thought. She decided to move on and not ask about it.

"Alright, last question. Do your species have something similar to a cutie mark?"

His face turned into a rather large grin.

"I'm sorry, a what?"

"A cutie mark." she turned to face her side. "That mark on my flank? It appears when a pony discovers their special talent."

From the smile on his face, she could tell he was choking back laughter. He didn't falter however and answered her question.

"No, we uh... We just find them for ourselves."

She seemed satisfied enough with that answer. She released the shackles then unplugged and removed the helmet. Matt rubbed his wrists. Though the restraints weren't tight, it felt good to have his arms back. Twilight grabbed a large stack of paper out of a small bin that had a zigzagged red line on it. He guessed that it was the data from the helmet. They both headed back upstairs.

When they emerged, they found Spike re-shelving books. Most of the piles in the room had already been put back in their proper places, and it was dark outside.

"Good work, Spike." Twilight said, clearly pleased with his progress.

"As always."

Twilight chuckled. "Yes, I know. Anyway, I need you take a letter."

He scampered off and returned with quill and parchment in hand.

"Dear princess Celestia, I am pleased to inform you of the discovery of a new species in Equestria that arrived here two days ago via a trans-dimensional accident. I..."

Matt didn't pay much attention to what she was sending, instead planning his remaining time there based on what he assumed he had left.

_"Now, if their postal service is anything like homes, it'll probably be at least a week before the letter gets there. Which raises the question of how someone can just send a letter to royalty anytime they want? Regardless, it'll probably be another week for the return letter to get here. So if I take the left half of the library this week, I can-"_

His train of thought stopped when he noticed a large puff of flame had incinerated the data and letter.

"Huh? But... why...?" he said, trying to formulate a sentence.

Twilight, on the other hand, merely giggled at his apparent plight.

"Don't worry, that's just how we send letters to the princess. She should send a reply shortly."

He felt relieved that he wouldn't have to sit for another hour and get quizzed on mankind again, but her response just raised more questions.

"So... If you send them through Spike, how does she send the replies?"

For the first time since he arrived, Twilight looked absolutely stumped. Before she could respond, a rather unceremonious belch erupted from Spike, which somehow manifested itself into a scroll. Spike caught it, unrolled it, and read through it.

"She says she wants to see us in Canterlot tomorrow. Oh, and to bring Matt with us." he said, summarizing.

Canterlot. Matt had read quite a bit about it. It had been the capital city of Equestria for at least nine-hundred years. If he was right, it was the large castle like structure clearly visible from anywhere in Ponyville.

Twilight had since grabbed the letter, glancing through it herself.

"She'll be sending a chariot to pick us up. We'll need to be up pretty early, so we should probably head to bed now."

That suited Matt just fine. He was tired after a day of reading and experimentation. Judging from the way Spike was yawning, he would probably agree.

"Alright, then. Goodnight." he said, heading off to his 'guest room'.

"Goodnight." she replied as he closed his door.

She and Spike headed off to their bedroom. The young dragon was yawning profusely, which made sense, considering how long he'd been awake. The moment he got in his basket-like bed, he was asleep.

Twilight, on the other hand, was reflecting on the day's events. It was definitely a productive day, but something kept bothering her. Something about her human house-guest. He reacted extremely negatively when attention was called to the scar on his arm. For a few seconds, his personality seemed to change drastically. She decided to worry about it later and just get some sleep.

Matt was sat up in his bed, lost in a trance of thought. His priority was to focus on getting home somehow. Staying there wasn't an option. But what waited for him in the empty shell of a house he called home? Nothing. He needed to get back to his nothing. Where he belonged. He found himself enjoying life again, something he simply could not tolerate, and was becoming rather fond of his new associates. His arm was the reminder of what bonds become. He wouldn't let it happen again.

He sighed and tried to get comfortable, which he found to be nearly impossible.


	7. Chapter 6

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 6: Theory

It was early morning and the sun's magnificence was in full splendor. It shone all across the land, a symbol of Equestria's ruler. Every time the sun would rise, the ponies would be reminded of who brings them their each and every day. She was aware of this, of course, as she looked out over the land from her grand castle. From its windows she could see all of Canterlot, and in the distance, Ponyville. She often watched over them when she wasn't busy with royal duties. Someone in her position of power usually had many things to worry about. But not today. Today she was receiving a visit from her student and beloved friend, Twilight Sparkle, who had reported an unheard of creature in the immediate vicinity.

"Sister..."

She heard a voice call out to her. A very familiar and cherished voice. She turned to see her younger sister standing in the doorway.

"... They're here."

It was too early for this. It was too cold for this. He wasn't in the best of moods for this. And yet, after a half-hour trip by chariot, they had arrived at the castle of the princesses. He hadn't expected to fly all the way there. The higher altitude winds had his teeth chattering the entire way, and he couldn't feel his exposed feet. He really had to look into getting shoes.

The three of them were led to a large dining room. It had an impractically long table and large stained glass windows. The windows depicted various scenes of assumed triumph, some of them featuring Twilight and her friends. Oddly enough, Twilight didn't have wings in any of the window portraits. Even stranger, a few of them had an out-of-place looking blue box. He took his seat between Twilight and Spike and waited for the arrival of the princesses.

After quite a bit of silent waiting, the doors opposite the ones they'd entered through opened, revealing a tall white pony and a smaller blue one. The white one began walking, with the other tailing right behind. Matt was actually impressed. The taller one, who he assumed to be Princess Celestia, was as tall as him. She carried herself with the grace and elegance befitting of her title. The smaller, who he assumed to be Princess Luna, just strolled in casually. He noticed that their hair seemingly defied gravity. A few days ago, he would've questioned that. It didn't even affect him at this point. He then noticed that they had both a horn and wings, like Twilight.

The two Winged-Unicorns took their seats at the end of the table, hair seeming to defy gravity. Twilight looked ecstatic to see them, though she didn't speak. Maybe she didn't know how to begin the conversation. Or, maybe she was just contempt enough to bask in the presence of the princesses. Seemingly sensing the building tension, princess Celestia broke the silence.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle, how are your studies progressing?"

Twilight's face read pure joy.

"Well, I recently began reading up on early rule in Equestia and early magic development, when I stumbled across some notes by Starswhirl the Bearded. They told of a very complex spell that..." she paused and brought up the previously mentioned notes. "...'creates a dimensional looking glass through time and space.'. I'm not entirely sure what that means, though."

"It implies that it creates a hole in the space time continuum, which isn't possible." said Matt unexpectedly.

Everyone in the room locked their eyes onto him. They probably hadn't expected him to speak so freely, much less understand what Twilight was talking about.

"You seem to be quite knowledgeable about this. Please, enlighten us." said Celestia.

Of course she'd ask him to explain. He needed to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

"Well, the theory states that all of time and space is like a fabric of some kind. It's quite possible that there are tears here and there, but never concentrated holes. Although, considering I am where I am, I'd say the theory has a few holes in itself."

"I see. I assume you are Matthew Nabal?"

"Yes, your majesty. I'm honored that you took the time out of your busy schedule to meet me."

He was used to meeting powerful figures, nothing quite like a princess, though. He just had to change the song and dance a little. He heard Twilight let out a sigh. She was probably relieved that he was making a good impression with the princesses.

"It's no trouble." she said, smiling. "Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a way to send you back to your home yet." she paused as an armor-clad Pegasus whispered something into her ear. "Ah, but we can discuss that after brunch."

As if on cue, numerous ponies rushed out with serving platters. They placed one dish in front of each person at the table before disappearing as fast as they came. Everyone was served a gourmet-looking salad along with tea. Spike was instead served a plate of gemstones. Matt watched as the tiny dragon ingested gem after gem in a rather barbaric fashion. He turned to his own food. Finally, he could eat something of substance without being sick of the flavor after two bites.

Conversation was scarce, with only occasional snippets from Twilight. Matt took a look around the table. Spike had already finished his food, Celestia's face was nearly unreadable, and Princess Luna looked dreadfully tired. She would just sit there, staring off into space, occasionally glancing his way and looking away quickly.

Before long, everyone had finished their meal and Princess Celestia got down to business.

"As I was saying, we have not yet found a way to send you back. Attempting the same spell again is far too dangerous."

He had forgotten about the reported shockwave that erupted from Twilight's home upon his arrival.

"Until we can find the proper way to send you back, please make this place your home. Do you have living arrangements?"

Twilight responded before he could.

"He's been staying with me, princess. I figured since I was responsible for bringing him here, I could at least offer him a home."

Celestia looked rather pleased with her response and Matt could see the pride in her expression.

"Yes, and she has been an excellent host." he said, smiling sincerely. "It has been both a pleasure and an honor."

Twilight seemed happy enough with his input and Celestia chuckled a bit. These ponies were too trusting. It must be the flaw of their species. They were far too easy to manipulate.

"Very well. Twilight Sparkle, I am placing him in your care. Try to make his stay enjoyable. We will be searching for a solution." Celestia said, rising from her seat at the table. Luna rose shortly after.

"Yes, of course, princess."

And then they were gone as suddenly as they came. Though Matt thought the visit rather pointless, at least he had something decent to eat. They went to exit the building and he braced himself for the cold of the autumn air.

"Sister?"

She hadn't heard Luna talk the entire time during the meeting. She was probably very tired.

"Yes?"

"Why does Twilight Sparkle still refer to you as 'princess' even though she also carries the title?"

An unexpected question.

"I'm not sure. Maybe she isn't used to it yet."


	8. Chapter 7

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 7: A Shadow of Myself

It had been a bad day. It was the day after their meeting with the princesses and on top of his lack of sleep, Matt's need for footwear was growing more and more evident. After his request for shoes, Twilight had sent him to Rarity with a few gold coins she called 'bits'. Though the job should've been simple enough, Rarity insisted on making him an entire outfit and wouldn't take no for an answer. She had him there almost the entire day, taking measurements and talking his ear off. By the time she was finished the sun had set and the night was settling in. His new shoes were a brown-ish color and made of some leathery material. He assumed it couldn't have been leather, though. That would imply the butchering of cows. The clothes she had made were almost identical to his others, except the new ones were lined in red and a bit too snug. He'd forgive her for that, as it was her first time sewing something in his body shape.

He was on his way back to the library when he stopped. The small town looked completely different in the dark. After minutes of wandering, he settled with the fact that he was lost. He sighed and sat on a nearby bench, looking around at his surroundings. Sugarcube Corner was in sight, but he denied it as an option. The last thing he needed today was anything to do with Pinkie Pie. It was then he spotted a small hill on the edge of town. Seeing it as the best way to get his bearings, he headed for it immediately.

The hill had a tree on the top of it and seemed like the perfect spot to see the entire town. After reaching the top, he looked over the town and was amazed. The entire place looked so serene and peaceful, and he could see all the stars in the sky, something he hadn't seen in many a year. The moon was even full that night. He took a seat under the tree and gazed out over the beautiful nightscape.

"Oh... I didn't realize somepony else was here..."

An intrusion. Of course there was an intrusion. He turned to see the person responsible, only to be surprised at the sight of Princess Luna. He quickly got on his feet and proceded to kneel to her.

"Greetings, princess. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." he said. _"Even though I'm certain I was here first..."_

She seemed much more awake and alert today than the previous, providing evidence to his theory of her being nocturnal.

"I-it's quite alright... Matthew Nabal, correct?"

She hadn't expected anypony to be in her favorite spot, much less the human visitor to the realm. His appearance intrigued her and his speech patterns were those of sophistication. She hadn't the chance to pursue her curiosity and speak with him yet, being too disorientated and bewildered the previous day. It was a pleasant surprise, indeed.

"Yes, your majesty. I'd hate to intrude, so I'll be on my way." he said, turning to leave.

"No! ... Erm, you may stay if you wish."

She mentally sighed. She hadn't yet mastered talking to her subjects normally.

Her little outburst hadn't gone unnoticed. He raised his brow at her strange behaviour, but shrugged it off. Maybe she just wanted some company. He certainly wasn't in any rush.

"Alright, then." he said, retaking his spot on the grass.

She looked relieved and took a seat to his left, looking out over the scenery. Most of the lights around town had gone out, amplifying the glow of the stars and moon.

"So, um... what brings you to Ponyville, your majesty?" he said, trying to make conversation.

"I come here sometimes to... watch over them." she said, still staring out over the now dark village.

She spoke softly and never turned to face him. Her voice showed hints of remorse and sadness and Matt didn't quite understand why. He knew when to give credit where it was due, however.

"It's very beautiful. You should be proud, princess."

His compliments served only to make conversing more difficult. She wasn't used to prolonged talking with anyone other than her sister. She began wondering why she even bothered keeping him there in the first place. There was just... something about him. Something in his eyes.

"Thank you. I began raising the moon again three years ago. I assume you... know the tale?"

She didn't know why she was so interested in him, but she didn't show any signs of stopping.

He paused for a moment. He knew the story of how princess Luna once went on a rampage and tried to 'bring about eternal night', taking on the name of Nightmare Moon. She was imprisoned on the moon, but eventually found a way to escape. She returned and tried the whole 'eternal night' thing again, but was stopped and saved from the darkness that grasped her.

"Yes, I've heard."

She lowered her head, seemingly fascinated with the grass she sat upon.

"Sometimes... I wonder if that's all they will remember me as. A shadow of myself..."

She looked distraught. Distraught and confused. Probably wondering why she was telling him this, just as he was. She looked skyward.

"I missed so much... up there."

He looked to where she was staring. The pale moon glowed brightly in the night sky. Her eyes shifted to a much darker stare. A familiar longing appeared in her deep, glistening blue eyes. There was no way the malevolent entity from the past was this sad, innocent creature at his side.

"You can't blame yourself." he said. She looked over to him. "We have all had times when... when we've lost control. Don't dwell on it. Put it behind you. If you can't, it just... eats away at you. Besides, I doubt any of them hold it against you."

That was what she saw in him, in his eyes. They were kindred spirits. Though she hadn't intended to vent her emotions to him, she was glad she did.

"... Thank you." she said, smiling.

He was genuinely happy to see her cheer up. She had it far worse than him. It was a wonder she could be happy about anything anymore. He turned back to the scenic town ahead of them, as she did the same. They sat there for quite some time in silence.

"So... do you come here often?" he asked.

"H-huh?"

"... I'll come again, if you wouldn't mind. You're quite good company, princess."

"Oh... of course."

With that, he stood.

"Until then." he began walking away. "Wait; one more thing. Can you give me directions to the Ponyville library?"

She pointed him in the right direction and he was on his way. He grinned to himself during the walk. Amusingly easy to manipulate and incredibly open to strangers? Things were getting laughable at this point.

Though he told himself that, a twinge of conscience and a familiar gnawing in the back of his mind said otherwise.


	9. Chapter Seven Point Five

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 7.5: Days Crawl By

**Author's Note: Honestly, I never intended to write one of these. However, I feel like I need to explain some things. First things first, the ".5" I've actually finished up to chapter 14, but I can't upload 8 and up yet. Some of you may know, but my friend and colleague Rhys Legacy is writing a story that ties in with mine, entitled "Doctor Who: Knight of Equestria". As such, I have to wait until he is prepared to release the chapter that intersects with my own. So, I came up with this. Originally, there was going to be a one week gap between chapters 7 and 8, if only to speed up pacing for what happens in chapter 8. Since I have to wait, I decided to give you guys something to read. These are small excerpts from the week that wasn't meant to be.**

**Oh, and, if you feel like it, tell me how I'm doing. I enjoy criticism in all forms. And go ahead and check out "Doctor Who: Knight of Equestria" if you haven't. It may or may not be important.**

**Day One**

Of course, Matt hadn't expected immediate results. He was sitting comfortably in Twilight Sparkle's massive tree-library, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible before his eventual return home. Among The countless books he managed to find a few mysterious, almost otherworldly tomes. These included 'The History of the Last Great Time War', 'The Weeping Statues' and 'The Shadow Proclamation: A Brief History'. For some reason these books seemed grossly out of place.

He'd have to ask Twilight about them later.

**Day Two**

"Good evening, your majesty."

"Hello, Matthew Nabal."

High on the hill looking over town, Matt and Luna sat quietly. For awhile, at least.

"Are you enjoying your stay in the Golden Oaks library?" she asked.

"Is that what it's called? I've just been calling it 'the Ponyville library'." he responded.

She smiled a rather insulting smile.

"Hm? What?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just find it amusing that you tend to overlook simple things. It's written on the front door."

**Day Three**

"Alright, that's another win for me."

"I… cannot believe this."

Through a lot of persuasion and begging, Spike had somehow gotten Matt to play checkers with him. Since they began, Matt had lost every single game. Even though he had thought through every single move Spike could make, he kept losing to something he hadn't foreseen. Spike would hop across the board, taking every piece in range. Matt would occasionally capture some of Spike's pieces, only to put his own at risk.

"How are you doing this?" he asked.

"Simple, ponies like you and Twilight always over think things. I just go with the flow."

**Day Four**

Twilight did what she would normally do, research government and things expected of her as a princess. As she sat in the library's main chamber, she noticed something. Her human house guest wasn't there like he normally was. She could only reason he was still in his room for some reason. A knock was heard at her door. Without her even getting up to answer it, the door flew open.

"Howdy, Twilight! I'm here to bring you this week's apple supply." said Applejack as she strolled in, large basket of apples on her back.

"Thanks, A.J. I was almost out."

After setting down the apples, Applejack took a look around.

"Where's that thingy?"

"He's not a 'thingy', and he's in his room."

As they continued to talk, they were unaware that he could hear them. He sat on the edge of his bed, thinking about things. The dreams were particularly painful last night and he hadn't the strength to face the day. But now, he could hear the venom in Applejack's voice as she talked about him. For some reason, she didn't think very highly of him even though he had only spoken to her once.

He didn't care. He would be gone soon enough.

**Day Five**

"Hello once again, Matthew Nabal."

"Good evening, princess."

They were there once again, quietly watching over Ponyville.

"Luna?"

She turned her head to him.

"Have you and your sister gotten closer to a solution yet?"

She began to stare towards the ground.

"No, I'm afraid we haven't."

She heard him sigh. He seemed very upset.

"You must miss your home."

"… Not exactly."

She turned back to face him again.

"I'm just… having a rough time adapting. This place isn't meant for me."

Now it was his turn to stare downwards.

"A-as strange as it sounds, I know the feeling."

"… I know."

**Day Six**

"… are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

Twilight flipped through her massive spell book again.

"No… I'm sorry, Matt. There's nothing in here beside the notes I found originally."

"Can't you just do the first spell again?"

Twilight's face took a stern look.

"No, princess Celestia said it was too dangerous."

"Do you always do what everyone tells you!?"

She was insulted and confused at the same time. That was the loudest he'd ever raised his voice. Apparently, he thought he was out of line, too.

"Look, I'm… I'm sorry. I just… can't take much more of this."

She found it hard to be upset with a creature she pulled from another dimension. He probably wanted to go home and see his loved ones, and the odds were against him.

"It's alright. I'm sure the princesses will find a solution somehow. They just need a bit more time.

"Right."

Just then, the door to Twilight's room opened.

"Hey, keep it down! Somponies are trying to sleep!" Spike yelled down before slamming the door.

The two shared a glance and Twilight let out a giggle.

Everything would be alright, it just needs time.


	10. Chapter 8

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 8: A Stranger I Remain

It had been a week since his first meeting with Luna and things were beginning to slow down. Not much happened in those seven days, and Matt was getting impatient. He didn't think it would take Luna and Celestia long to find him a way back home. But there he sat in Twilight's library, reading. His Horned-Pegasus associate was doing the same, as blissfully as ever, whilst Spike continued with his assisting duties.

He had met up with Luna several times since their initial meeting. She had told him that she and her sister were making little progress in the search for a way to send him back. That, along with no correspondence from Celestia, did not bode well. He would probably be there for at least a month.

As if in tandem with his thoughts, a belch from Spike signaled the arrival of a letter from Celestia. Matt let out a sigh and stood up. It was about time. He was hoping to put this whole experience behind him. Twilight stopped what she was doing and unfurled it.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle, after an extensive search through the royal archives, I regret to inform you... Oh dear."

Great. Some kind of complication. Why wouldn't there be?

He saw her eyes start at the top of the page again.

"... I regret to inform you that there... is no way to send your guest home. No such spell exists in the whole of the archives."

She stopped when she noticed his eyes widening. He stumbled backwards, into the chair he rose from. His face was blank as he stared up at the ceiling. He began breathing more intensely and was seemingly rendered speechless. Twilight thought it best to comfort him. She began to approach him.

"Listen, I know it must hurt, but-"

She stopped when his eyes locked onto hers. His stare was filled with rage.

"Shut up."

His voice was cold, as if all emotion drained entirely.

"B-but... We can help you through this."

"No. You can't, none of you can!"

Something about his still-staring eyes made her feel uncomfortable, to the point of looking away.

"I know you haven't really adapted yet, but we're here for you."

"I don't need you!" he shouted whilst rising to his feet. "With all your magic powers, you still can't do anything. What's the point of such a gift? You're a waste." He turned away from her, facing the door.

His personality had changed entirely and he was saying some very unkind things. She had expected him to be upset, but nothing like this. She thought back to his journal still stashed away in her room. His cold words reminded her of its initial entries. Maybe this is what he was really like...

He began moving towards the door.

"W-where are you going?"

"... Out..." he said in a gruff, angry tone.

With that, he walked out the door and was gone. She stood there, overwhelmingly confused.

"What was that all about?" said Spike, who had been silent until now.

"I'm... not sure, Spike."

But she was determined to find out. She went to her room to find the small gray book that would hopefully give her answers.

_"Why?" _he thought as he stormed off. _"Why am I so upset about this?"_

He didn't have any particular location in mind, so he just walked.

_"I should be happy... elated, even. So why does it hurt so much?"_

His thoughts were torn.

_"Probably because I don't deserve this. I don't deserve another chance. I was just going to let myself fade away, but no. Now I have to perpetuate this sorry excuse of a life."_

_"That's still no excuse for treating her like that. She was only trying to help. And I didn't spend over ten years learning self control to just lose it like that. I could've handled it civilly. Now I may not even have a home."_

_"But what does that matter? I don't have a home anymore, anyway. It was just taken from me. Again."_

_"Although I wouldn't call that a home if I was sensible. All that's back there for me are memories. Painful, painful memories."_

_"And all that's here for me are friends, things I gave up when I chose to isolate myself. Then again, I didn't really choose my isolation in the first place. That was just how the rest of the world left me, and I told myself it was right."_

_"But I've been shunning and manipulating them since I arrived in an attempt to continue that isolation. Maybe... maybe it's time I gave it up. Maybe I deserve this second chance. If I didn't, I would've died too."_

_"Or maybe I did, and this is just my version of hell."_

His mental tug-of-war continued as he approached an intersection in the dirt path. From the left, an unearthly sound resonated. Loud enough to halt his thoughts. It stopped as he drew near the turn, and he decided to investigate. When he rounded the bend, less than thirty feet away sat a large blue box. It stood in front of a sweet shop and resembled old police boxes used in England more than fifty years ago. Of course, the only reason he knew that was because of a European cultures class. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was exactly that, complete with 'Police Public Call Box' around the upper rim. He circled the box, wondering how something like it could've ended up in the middle of Ponyville.

She flipped through the book, quickly finding the third entry.

_She came by again today. Her father didn't come with her. She was much chattier, asking me how I'd been. I simply demanded what she wanted. I didn't have the time to waste on her. She broke into tears and started begging me to go with her. She said we'd run away. After I waited for her to calm down, she began telling me that my life was in danger. That I needed to run. I told her that I didn't care. That I welcomed it. It was a bold-faced lie, but she seemingly bought it. She looked me in the eye and said that I had changed. I forced her out the door and proceeded to go about my business. She stayed at the door for at least an hour, pleading that I listen to her._

_Matthew Nabal, 7/23/12_

That explained his fear of surprises and that he was clearly not the nicest of people. But his life being in danger? Why didn't he say anything? She continued on to the next entry.

_She didn't return after the other day. I'm sat here alone, and wondering when those supposed assassins are going to arrive. Today would be perfect. It would definitely be a decent birthday present._

The second entry didn't have a date attached. Before she could continue onto the next entry, a knock was heard on her front door. She expected Spike to answer it, but when the knocking persisted, she descended from her room to see who was pestering her.

She opened the door and was greeted by the odd chestnut stallion from Matt's welcoming party. He was now wearing a white collar with a red bowtie.

He flipped open a small piece of paper. "Books and safety."

"But... your paper's blank."

"Oh, too smart for the psychic paper, eh?" he slipped the paper into his collar. "Very well, I'm The Doctor. What books do you have on magic?" he said, showing himself in.

Though she was normally overjoyed to talk about books and magic, The Doctor was raising too many questions.

"Oh, are you checking them out for a friend?" she said as he began searching the shelves.

"No, no. Myself."

"But you're an Earth Pony. Only Unicorns can use magic..."

"But you're not a Unicorn and you use magic." he said, still searching the shelves.

She wanted to correct him, but remembered the wings that now adorned her back. He stopped searching abruptly and turned to her.

"So... what _does_ that make you, Twilight Sparkle?"

"That's easy, I'm an Alicorn."

"Ah yes, the mythical flying Unicorns. Just like Celestia and Luna."

"Oh, you know the princesses?"

"Yes I do, princess Twilight." he said, giving a quick bow.

She blushed a bit. She wasn't yet used to be addressed as royalty.

"A-anyway, we usually keep the stuff on magic over there."

She pointed to a wall opposite the one he was standing in front of. He trotted over and began searching through the books.

"Any renowned authors I should look for, known for revolutionizing the study?"

"Well, the most famous would be Starswhirl the Bearded..."

He pulled out a book and showed it to her.

"Is this a good one to start on?"

"... 'The Final Days of Starswhirl the Bearded'? I think that might be a bit too late..."

He began flipping through the book.

"It's never too late to start, at least for me anyway."

He began pacing around, still flipping through pages. How he was doing so was a mystery to everyone. He stopped suddenly. The page he stopped on had numerous notes scattered all over it.

"Twilight..."

"Yes?"

"Do you know who wrote these notes?"

"It's believed somepony helped him finish that book. Probably his nurse or something."

"Or maybe his doctor..." he said, pulling out a small tool and scanning it up and down the page.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because, this is my handwriting."

Twilight was immensely confused for the second time that day.

"Uh, handwriting?"

"Right, sorry, hoofwriting. But do you know what this means?" he said, smiling.

She had begun thinking that this strange pony was going mad.

"No...?"

"It's time to go meet him."

He headed for the door with book in hoof.

"Wait!" she shouted.

The pony stopped.

"Are you crazy!?"

He turned to her.

"Yes, I'm a mad man with a big blue box. Dreamer of impossible dreams. The Doctor, at your service." he gave another quick bow.

"But you can't take that book with you! This is a library! We have rules!"

"Right, and I have a library card." he flipped open another piece of paper. Though she couldn't make out the details, she saw the words 'Library Card' clear enough.

"Okay..." she said, defeated.

He trotted away happily.

She let out a rather large groan and fell backwards, lying on the floor. It had only been a few hours, but the day had already been quite the ordeal.

His fascination with the blue box before him was baffling. He had been standing there, looking it up and down, for nearly five minutes. Something about it seemed off to him. He was standing behind it when he heard the doors open.

"Alright. Same year, same day... five minutes early!" said a familiar sounding British voice.

"Five minutes early?" said an unknown female voice.

"Wouldn't that be a paradox if we see ourselves?" he heard a second female voice say.

"Yes, unless you were supposed to see yourself. In which case; see yourself."

He circled around to the front of the box. There stood the chestnut colored pony he remembered distinctly as 'The Doctor', along with two ponies he didn't recognize. One was a cream color and the other a mint-green. The Doctor had his back turned to him.

He stomped his hoof on the ground "Right, so where to next?"

"Uh, Doctor..." said the cream colored pony. She had seemingly noticed Matt's existence.

"I've always loved going to Italy during the renaissance..."

"Doctor!"

"What?" The mint-green pony gestured behind him. He turned and spotted the young man stood a few feet away. "Ah! Mister Nabal. Still got legs, I see."

Part of him wanted to ask what he meant, but he didn't bother. Nothing really made sense there anyway.

"Indeed. How've you been, Doctor?"

"Good. Well, as good as you can be after fighting a Draco."

Again, he decided against asking questions. The less he knew the better.

"I see. So, is this Police Box yours?"

The mint-green pony responded before The Doctor could.

"Yeah, and it's a time-"

She was halted by a hoof to the head from the cream pony next to her.

"Well, it's called the TAR-" before he could say more, he was given the same hoof-to-the-head treatment.

"He built it from scratch." said the cream pony.

"Ow! Why did you hit me!?" he said, rubbing the spot she had struck. She did so a second time. "Stop it!"

Matt had since begun ignoring them, reaching out and rubbing the corner of the police box.

"Tardis..." everyone else looked over to him."It's called the tardis, right?" he said, recalling The Doctor speaking of it at the party.

"Yes!" exclaimed The Doctor before a third blow to his head made him fall to ground.

"T-that's right." said the cream pony. She looked a bit nervous for some reason. "Oh! My name is Bon-Bon and this..." she gestured to the unconscious mint-green pony at her side. "... Is Lyra."

"Matthew Nabal. A pleasure."

She quickly waved and began dragging the still unconscious Lyra into the nearby sweet shop, which he assumed was hers. The Doctor picked himself up, dusted himself off and straightened his bowtie.

"Are you okay?" said Matt.

"Yes. Sometimes you just need to learn when to stay down..."

"So, Doctor... why _do _you have a police box from my dimension_? _You couldn't have built it."

"Well, you know what it is. Rather, what it looks like. It's called the TARDIS. That's short for Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

"Oh, I see. TARDIS. What does it do?"

"Well, would you like to see for yourself?"

Matt stopped to think for moment. Does he actually care about what this wooden box does?

"Sure."

The Doctor reached into his collar. After a few seconds, he started searching deeper. He pulled his hoof out empty handed and muttered 'Bon-Bon' in an upset tone.

"Right, well, we're going to have to postpone this. I've got a score to settle..." he started to storm off before turning around mid stride and walking back to Matt. "Are you alright?"

That was unanticipated. Matt had thought he was hiding his distraught state, but The Doctor had picked up on it.

"I was informed earlier that the princesses can't find a way to send me back. I'm stranded."

The Doctor looked at Matt.

"Stranded? I know a thing or two about stranded. Being stuck on a space rock that is in orbit around a black hole is stranded. You're just… somewhere else. Think about it, a whole new universe to explore, new adventures, new dangers, a whole new perspective on life!"

He took slight offense to that.

"You wouldn't understand. I've lost everything. I don't want a new perspective on life. I don't want to be the last of my kind. I have nothing because I choose it. It needed to stay that way."

The Doctor sat down.

"Not too long ago I didn't care about anything. I lost my best friends. Because of me, because of my actions, they disappeared in to the past. Soon after I became depressed and hid away in the sky. After a while I saw what they did when they were cast away. They made something of themselves. One revolutionized medicine and the other became a famous author, and it was only after I looked back that I realized how proud I was of them. They were both lived their lives with open minds, up until the very end..." the Doctors voice trailed off, tears started forming in his eyes.

"I locked myself away to try and forget that… That it was my fault in the end..." he blinked his eyes to avoid crying. "But sometimes we need a new perspective on life. It was my fault, but because of me they lived the rest of their lives together, long and happily." the Doctor gave a smile.

The Doctor's words had reached him. He was overcome with sadness and realization. He understood.

"... Thank you, Doctor." he said, genuine smile on his face.

"It's alright..."

The Doctor stood up from his spot

"The way I see it, life isn't just a pile of good and bad things. You need to sort through the pile to find the great and amazing ones."

"I suppose you're right..."

He trailed off, suddenly remembering his actions earlier that day.

"I need to go apologize to Twilight... I said some very... Unkind things earlier."

"Unkind things? Is that why she was so upset when I visited her earlier? Well, you had better go apologize to her highness."

_"Wait... Her highness?"_

"Oh and before I forget."

The Doctor pulled a book out of his collar.

"Can you return this to the library? I checked it out earlier."

Before Matt could say a word the Doctor sauntered away.

"P-p-princess... T-twilight?"


	11. Chapter 9

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 9: Perspectives

A familiar terror was streaking through his entire body as he opened the library's door. He had to tread carefully. He had unknowingly insulted royalty and now feared her wrath.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was in the library's main chamber with a glum look on her face. She had noticed him the moment the door opened and she didn't look necessarily happy to see him. She was sat on one of the library's couches, though she wasn't reading. Just sitting there. He held up the book he was given.

"... The Doctor sends his regards." he said, throwing the book onto a pile.

"Oh... thanks." she replied meekly.

The room quickly filled with an awkward silence. Matt was figuring out the best way to apologize, whilst Twilight was just hoping he wouldn't start randomly yelling. They were there for some time, staring off in different directions.

"I... I know I said some... very rude things earlier." he stopped to look towards her. She was looking back. He had her full attention. "I just wanted to say how deeply sorry I am. I understand if you want me to leave."

She perked up a bit, giving a kind smile.

"It's alright. It was the natural reaction."

That was a relief.

"Still, I feel terrible. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, princess?" he said.

She clearly hadn't expected that. Her face blushed, something that Matt couldn't begin to wrap his head around considering she had a coat of fur. She seemed to respond oddly to being addressed as royalty.

"N-no, it's fine."

Persistence. He had expected this, but would not falter. He needed to show his appreciation for not being sent to a dungeon.

"No, really, I mean it. There must be something."

She really hadn't expected any of this. His words and actions were unlike any she had seen from him. He seemed different. She thought this would be an excellent time to try and understand him more.

"Well, Spike went out, so I guess you could keep me company."

"Of course." he said, smiling.

He took a seat across from her, on the very couch he slept on his first night there.

"So... you ran into The Doctor, huh?"

An odd smile spread across his face.

"Yes. He and his... associates." he said, recalling the two ponies The Doctor seemingly emerged from a police box with.

"Associates? He came by after you left and he was alone."

He took a moment to ponder that. How could he have gone to library and then across town in a span of about five minutes? He decided not to question it further. A lot of things revolving around the pony called The Doctor had him clueless.

"Their names were... Lyra and Bon-Bon, I think."

"Oh, those two. That's odd, I haven't seen them around in awhile." she said, thoughtful expression on her face.

"What's odd about that?"

"Well, usually Bon-Bon's around town and Lyra's lounging about. But... I think the last time I saw them was at your welcoming party."

Though he wanted to forget that the party ever happened, he recalled two ponies escorting The Doctor out shortly after he arrived. If that was them, then they hadn't been around for at least nine days.

"They're quite the pair, actually." she continued, "Bon-Bon owns a sweet shop in town and Lyra used to play in an orchestra in Canterlot."

Now that was strange. From what Matt had heard and seen of the place, Canterlot was where most of the richer citizens lived. Why would she leave all that behind to move to what was essentially the countryside?

"Why'd she leave?" he asked, speaking his mind.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that she left nearly a year before I did."

He had forgotten Twilight also came from the capital city.

"What about you?"

That seemed to catch her off guard.

"H-huh?"

"Why did you leave?"

His newfound curiosity in her life perplexed her. He was being so talkative. It was like he was a completely different person.

"Oh, well, I didn't choose to, at first. After I passed my entrance exam to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, the princess took me as her personal pupil. Nearly three years ago, she sent me and Spike here to make sure everything was in order for the Summer Sun Celebration. That's when I met my friends and discovered that we represented the Elements of Harmony. After that, I was assigned to learn more about friendship, so we stayed here. I was still a Unicorn back then..."

She had a certain longing in her eyes, almost as if yearning for days long since past. Matt had heard bits and pieces of the same story from Rainbow Dash, but didn't know details. What got him most was the last thing she said.

"Not had the wings long?" he said, once again speaking his mind.

"No, only for a few months. I was made an Alicorn when I became a princess."

Alicorn! That's what the term was. He was satisfied to finally get an answer to that question. Even so, she raised more.

"You weren't born into it?"

She shook her head.

"It was a gift by princess Celestia. I'm still getting used to it, though."

That explained why she was studying up on politics and what-not. She was probably expected to be a ruler someday.

"What about your parents?"

"Oh, they still live in Canterlot. I try to visit whenever I can, but lately I haven't had the time."

Though still confused over the entire situation, she was beginning to like the new Matt. She figured it was a good a time as ever to change subjects.

"That's enough about me, what about you? You've never exactly gone into detail about your life."

His eyes shifted for a few seconds, reminiscent of how they'd look when he had one of his odd moments, before going back to normal.

"Anything in particular you're interested in, princess?"

A very unexpected reply.

"Everything, I guess. And you don't have to call me 'princess'."

"Alright, then. I was born the youngest child and only son of the Nabal family. My sisters had both moved out by the time I turned five. It was around then that my mother had me signed up for piano lessons, which, for some reason, I excelled at immensely."

"You can play piano?"

"Yep. And a few others. Anyways, when I started school the following years I quickly found out that I was an adept student. I passed every grade with flying colors. Top of my class."

Twilight couldn't help but be reminded of herself.

"It wasn't just instruments and education, though. Seemingly everything I tried, I could do. Excellently, even. I was my father's pride and joy, and he wanted the whole world to know..."

He paused, seemingly lost in thought. She noticed him looking down to his right arm. Looking at his scar.

He stared down at the eternal reminder of past events. He had always told himself that it was a reminder of what bonds became. He believed that less now, as he decided to see the world with a different perspective. Now, it was just a reminder of home. Or rather, his old home.

"You... don't have to talk about it." he heard her say, bringing him back to thinking straight.

She was smiling with kind, understanding eyes. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you."

She gave a nod, before once again changing the subject.

"So... did you read a lot? Who's your favorite author?"

"Hmm... I don't know. I didn't read much fiction. Who's yours?"

"Oh, Jade Singer! She wrote 'Canter in The Sky' and 'Re-Cant'. You've got to read them, they're amazing!" she said, her face reading pure joy.

"I'll do that." he said, smiling.

They spoke for the rest of the day, seemingly making up for his outburst earlier. He was thoroughly enjoying chatting with her and she seemed to be enjoying herself. For the first time in nearly six months he had let someone get close to him. He had made a friend, and this time he wasn't just saying that to get some peace and quiet.

After awhile, Spike finally returned.

"And wherehave you been?" Twilight asked.

"Rarity's..." he yawns, "Tired. Sleep." he said, wobbling up to him and Twilight's sleeping quarters.

Twilight giggled before yawning as well.

"I guess it is pretty late..."

"You should get some sleep. Sleep deprivation isn't healthy for the mind." said Matt.

"Yes, I know. What about you?"

"I think I'll stay up a bit longer. I want to start reading those books you recommended."

"Okay then. See you tomorrow." she said, heading off to her room.

She heard a 'goodnight' as she entered her bedroom. Spike was already asleep and Twilight was halfway there when she got into bed. Matt's sudden change of character was still troubling her deeply, but she decided to ignore it. She had felt a spark ignite within her, and it was very different from the spark of friendship.


	12. Chapter 10

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 10: Everybody Talks

It was another glorious day in Ponyville. The chilly autumn air was offset by the warmth of the sunshine, making for a particularly nice day. The newest resident of the small town was strolling down the central avenue. Twilight had advised him to go out and become more familiar with the place. Despite his reluctance, he thought it best to heed her advice. She was in a similar situation years before. As he continued walking, unsure what to do or where to start, he heard a voice call out to him. The only thing he found odd was the fact that it came from above him.

"Hey, Matt!"

He looked up to see a sky-blue Pegasus resting on a cloud, something he didn't even begin pointing out the impossibilities of.

"Ah, hello, Rainbow Dash." he said, covering his eyes from the blinding sunlight.

She flew down and landed next to him.

"What's up?" she said, raising a hoof.

"Nothing much. Just getting familiar with the place."

"Familiar, eh? I thought you weren't staying long."

"Neither did I." he chuckled. "Turns out my stay is going to be quite long."

"... Really? How long?" she asked, somewhat anxiously.

"Permanent."

Her eyes seemingly got wider and a smile spread across her face.

"Awesome! Want me to show you around? I know this place like the back of my hoof."

Though it bugged him how happy she was that he was technically stuck there, he let it pass. He thought it would be perfect to get shown around by someone with a bird's eye view. Before he could agree, her face soured.

"Aw, shoot. I'm on weather patrol today. We'll go later, okay?" she said.

She took off in a gust of wind and trail of rainbows as Matt waved goodbye. Now that his potential guide was gone, he'd have to find his way around alone. He took a seat on a nearby bench and examined his surroundings. He could see Carousel Boutique and Sugarcube Corner. Though he had seen these places before, he still couldn't tell exactly where he was. His train of thought was effectively derailed when he noticed he was no longer alone on the bench. To his left, from seemingly out of nowhere, sat the pink mass of seemingly unlimited energy known as Pinkie Pie.

"Hi! What're doing all by yourself?" she said.

Though he normally couldn't understand her lightning-fast speech, today was different. He seemed to be able to comprehend her.

"Just out for a bit of a walk."

"But you're not walking. You're sitting, which is like, the opposite of walking."

Apparently nothing got past Pinkie Pie.

"Well, I'm trying to get used to Ponyville's layout. I'm tired of getting lost."

"Oh! Why didn't you say so!? I can help!" she said.

Though he thought her annoying, he couldn't help but be nice. She was the kind of person anyone enjoys to see happy.

"Are you sure? I'm sure you've got things to do, being a baker and all..."

"Of course I do! I'm doing errands right now. You can come with me, and I can show you all my favorite places!" she said, hopping off of the bench.

He hated admitting it, but her reasoning was sound. Perhaps there was more to her then he expected.

"Alright, then. Lead the way." he said, standing up.

She seemed more ecstatic then ever and began literally bouncing ahead, Matt close behind. Within twelve bounces, they were in what looked like a marketplace.

"This is the market, and over there's town hall, and that's the Ponyville day spa..."

She continued calling out names of all the buildings in sight, but not stopping anywhere.

"Uh, Pinkie? I thought you said you were on errands?"

"I am, silly. We haven't gotten there yet."

Despite how painfully obvious that was, she did have a point. Although he did find it strange that they were walking through a market on bakery errands and not buying anything. She did eventually stop outside a familiar looking candy store.

"And this is Sweetie Drop's."

She approached the door and tried to tug it open. She kept pulling with both hooves to the point of losing her grip and flying backwards.

"I... don't think anyone's home." said Matt, holding back laughter.

"Aww, I wanted super-sized cotton candy lollipop..." she said in an unfittingly sad sounding voice.

She picked herself up and began bouncing again.

"Never mind, come on! We're almost there!"

He should've assumed she wasn't going there for anything important. What would a baker need from a candy store? They continued onwards, passing many other interesting shops without stopping at any. Eventually they walked out of the town's borders on a dirt path. A large, red farmhouse-like building was in sight. As they approached it, Matt spotted an orange and blonde pony with a bucket of apples on its back. She noticed him and Pinkie and waved to them.

"Howdy, ya'll. Be with ya in just a sec." she said, opening a door in the ground and descending some stairs.

As they waited for Applejack, Matt inquired about their location.

"What exactly is this place?"

"This is Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack and her family live."

He looked around at the withering trees, bare of fruit and leaves. The bucket of apples Applejack was carrying was probably the last of the season. Probably the end of the harvest, considering the change of weather.

"So... It's an apple orchard?"

"Uh-huh, and it's where the sweetest, juiciest, most delicious apples in all of Equestria come from!" she said enthusiastically flailing her forelegs in the air.

"You don't say..."

He recalled Twilight's food stock consisting mostly of insanely sweet apples. This was probably the source. Applejack popped out of the assumed apple cellar, a small basket of apples in tow.

"Here ya go, Pinkie Pie." she said in her usual southern tone.

Pinkie scooped up the basket before forcing conversation.

"Hey AJ, you remember Matt, right?"

"Yeah... I figured you'd be long gone by now."

Though he couldn't tell why, he could feel a hint of animosity from the orange mare.

"Believe me; I'm not still here by choice. I can't go back."

Her expression lightened somewhat.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He stopped himself from asking what she meant by that.

"Thanks..."

Thankfully, Pinkie had some reason to leave.

She let out a large gasp. "I just remembered something! Come on!" she said, bouncing away.

He was relieved to have an excuse to get away from a pony he was sure didn't like him. Though, he couldn't help but wonder why Pinkie had taken off so suddenly.

"Pinkie? What did you forget?"

"I forgot I was showing you around Ponyville! We're almost done."

He sighed. Nothing she did made sense. Then again, most things didn't anymore.

They continued the tour, until they ended up back at the bench they started from. The sun was setting and in clear view.

"... And this is the bench we started from. There! All done!"

He sat down on the bench and she took a seat left of him.

"So, by 'errands' you meant, 'pick up some apples'?" he asked.

"Yep. We ran out at Sugarcube Corner."

"Of course..."

She took one from the basket, somehow holding it in her hoof, and finished it in two bites. She took another one and offered it to him.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

She then posed a very odd question.

"Do you even eat?"

He took a moment to register that in his mind.

"Of course I do."

"I've never _seen _you eat."

He stared at her blinking blue eyes in confusion. He grabbed an apple from the basket, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed.

"Satisfied?"

Instead of the expected reaction, she looked more confused than he was.

"I don't get it." she said. "Everypony in town's been talking about you all week. But you don't seem that different."

He wanted to question her quality of vision, but decided to go with a less insulting option.

"But I am. Clearly."

She shook her head rapidly. "You're just like me. Or Applejack."

"... I'm going to need you to explain."

"You can't fly or do magic. You're just like an Earth Pony."

The more he thought about it the more it made sense. From a technical standpoint, she was correct. Besides the obvious physical differences, Earth Ponies were just like the average human being. This, in an odd way, made him feel less alone.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Pinkie. Everybody talks. They'll find something else to gossip about eventually."

"I know. What if nopony could talk? That'd be so horrible! I couldn't talk for awhile this one time, almost a full day! Can you..."

She seemed to be spastic about everything again, which made him smile. She definitely had a lot more to her than just being a scatter-brained baker.

Before long she said her goodbyes and bounced off, leaving Matt to test his new knowledge of Ponyville's streets. It wasn't long before he realized they hadn't gone past the library the entire day.


	13. Chapter 11

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Knight of Equestria

Chapter 11: Suffering for Art

He stood outside the widely known Carousal Boutique, mind desperately thinking for an excuse to walk away. He had been standing there for roughly five minutes. A new type of fear was coursing through his veins as he hesitantly went to knock on the door.

After eventually finding his way home yesterday, Matt looked forward to relaxing. After his technical roommate had, for some unknown reason, noticed that his clothes were a tad snug, she sent him to what he could only describe as his impending doom. He didn't particularly have anything against the dress-maker supreme who owned the boutique, but he did in fact fear her ability to talk for hours on end.

His arm had stopped halfway to the door, almost as if giving him another chance to walk away. He let it drop back to his side. Maybe he could think of something if he gave it more time.

Unfortunately the world seemed to be against him. He could hear voices from inside, getting ever closer to the door.

"We haven't tried sky diving yet."

"How would we even get that high up? None of us can fly."

"Can you try to think of somthin' that won't put us in the hospital?"

They sounded noticeably younger than anyone he knew and one of them had the same accent as Applejack. Judging from how loud they were getting, he took a few steps back to avoid the swing of the door. It opened seconds later, coming inches away from his face. On the other side were three very small and very confused ponies. One was an all white Unicorn with two-toned hair, another an orange Pegasus with purple hair, and the third an odd light-yellow Earth Pony with red hair, topped with a pink bow. He assumed that they were children despite knowing they looked nothing like foals from his world.

The trio let out a unified "Whoa". The one with the bow spoke first.

"What in the...?"

"I dunno, but it looks awesome!" replied the orange Pegasus.

"It looks kind of like a monkey." added the Unicorn.

"Sweetie Belle!" said a stern sounding voice from inside the boutique. "Mind your manners!"

The small Unicorn, whom he assumed was named Sweetie Belle, hung her head low as the familiar form of Rarity came into view.

"I'm dreadfully sorry about that. Have you met my sister and her friends?"

He easily put together that the two Unicorns were related after seeing them side by side.

"I've... not had the pleasure." he said.

The orange one put a hoof on her chest.

"The name's Scootaloo." she said.

"I'm Applebloom." said the one with the southern accent.

The young unicorn perked up, hopping in place.

"And I'm Sweetie Belle."

"And we're..." began Scootaloo."The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" they shouted in unison at a near deafening level.

After recovering from the small sonic disruption that was 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders', he hesitantly replied.

"M-Matthew Nabal."

"Oh, you're that hue-thingy my big sister was talkin' about." said Applebloom.

That confirmed his assumption that she was related to Applejack.

"Now now, girls, go about your business. I don't want you scaring away a customer."

Surprisingly, the fillies did what they were told and scampered off. Rarity walked deeper into her store as Matt swallowed his fear and stepped inside.

"So, what can Rarity do for you today?" she said, turning to face him.

"Ah, yes, well..."

He let out an undignified scream as he felt multiple sharp objects pierce his back.

"Opal!" he heard Rarity shout as he turned his head to face his attacker. To his surprise, seemingly attached to his back was a fluffy white cat. The cat began to glow a blue-ish color before floating off of his back. It was dropped through a doorway as the door shut behind it.

"I am so sorry about that. Are you alright?" she said.

Considering he didn't feel anything trickling down his back, he assumed the cat hadn't broken skin.

"Yeah. I should be fine."

"Opal's never just attacked somepony before. Do you not like cats?"

"I like them just fine. However..."

"I understand. I'll just have to remember to keep her upstairs when you come by."

That only begged the question of where 'Opal' was when he was there a few days earlier, but he thought it best to just do what he went there for.

"Anyway, do you think you could resize these for me? Nothing major, just a tad... bigger."

He was in his black pajamas he had arrived in nearly two weeks ago. Rarity had stitched him together another outfit, but it was just a bit too suffocating to be worn regularly.

"Of course, dear. Why didn't you say something before?"

"Oh... I, uh, didn't want be a bother."

"It's no trouble. You'll have to forgive me; I'm not used to making anything in your shape."

"Alright, then. I'll just... sit over here." he said, pointing to a chair near the door.

She levitated a pair of red glasses onto her nose and moved the clothes over to a table with a sewing machine on it. They were falling apart, like she somehow began extracting the thread holding them together. She didn't seem to be in a talkative mood today, so Matt hoped things would go a bit faster. He was in the middle of 'Canter in The Sky' and wanted to get back to his relaxation.

"So, how've you been, Matt?" she said, delicately starting her work.

He sighed. He should've known better.

"Pretty decent, all things considered. What about you?"

"Oh, just fabulous. I'm preparing my winter line-up to be shipped to Canterlot soon." she said lazily.

Aside from him now feeling genuinely bad about bothering her, he took notice that she didn't speak very enthusiastically.

"You don't sound too happy about it." he said.

She paused for a moment and looked toward the ceiling.

"Well... it _is _an awful lot of work..." she went back to sewing as she continued."But even so, it is my passion, and I'd hate to disappoint all the ponies expecting my designs."

He watched her flow from one piece of cloth to the next. The rhythmic sound of the sewing machine filled the now quiet room. Matt didn't want to pursue any conversation, preferring the serene near-silence as he watched her work. She moved fluidly, her years of experience being fairly evident. He had really begun to admire her dedication. A few minutes later and she was finished.

"That should do it. Now, if you have any more problems, don't be afraid to stop by." she said, folding the newly re-stitched outfit and floating it over to him.

"Thank you."

She stopped for a moment, seemingly staring at his face. Before he could question it she spoke her reason.

"Have you not been sleeping well, darling? You've got such heavy bags under your eyes..." she said, clearly concerned.

"Oh, um... I've just been... reading late. Twilight introduced me to some books that I just can't put down."

A bold-faced lie. He didn't need to worry such a busy person like Rarity with his problems.

"Oh! That reminds me..." she grabbed a book next to some fabrics on a nearby shelf. "Would you mind taking this back for me? I borrowed it last week and haven't had the time to return it myself."

"Of course. I'll be off, then."

She cheerfully waved a hoof goodbye and he was on his way. This time, he made sure to remember his way back to the library so he would hopefully make it back without losing his way.

He was unaware of the turquoise eyes that followed him every step, until he was out of sight, their owner cursing her cowardice.

Back at the library, Spike was having a hard time finding a particular book. He checked where it should've been, before diving into the multiple piles of books around the library. Twilight was searching as well, growing more and more frustrated by the minute. Like most times when she needed guidance, she turned to books for an answer. Not being able to find the only book that could help bothered her. Immensely.

Their search was interrupted when the door opened and Matt strolled in. He saw the chaotic state of the library and stopped in his tracks.

"... What happened?" he said, obviously confused.

"We've been looking for a book all day." said Spike.

"And we can't find it anywhere!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's just... gone." she said, abandoning the search and sitting down, eyes cast to the floor.

"It wouldn't happen to be this one, would it?" she heard Matt say.

She looked up to him and saw the book he was holding in his right hand. Her eyes widened as she got up and trotted over, smiling all the way.

"Yes! That's it!" she exclaimed, "Where did you find it?"

"Rarity had it. She asked me to return it."

Twilight could now faintly recall lending it to her friend last week. She was quite embarrassed that she couldn't remember something so simple, her face turning a light pink.

"Oh... right..."

The book in question had a dark red cover with golden lettering. She magically snatched it from his hand.

"Thanks. Well, we better get this place cleaned up." she said, taking notice of how badly they had disorganized everything.

Spike took notice, too.

"Ugh, but we just tore it apart. It'll take the rest of the day to reshelf all these books." he said.

"Well then, we'd better get started." she said, dropping the newly retrieved book near her favorite reading spot.

Spike let out a large sigh and got to work. Matt figured he should probably help out, too.

By night fall, everything was back where it belonged except the small red book Twilight had set aside. She had to read it next chance she could, as there were a few burning questions she needed answered.


	14. Chapter 12

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 12: Better Left Unknown

Night had set in nearly an hour ago. Despite being mid-November, the air still held some warmth. Atop a hill just outside Ponyville sat a lonely, withering tree and an even lonelier princess. She sighed as she began to face reality. Though she hadn't expected her lone human subject to visit every night, it had been many a day since last he came. News of she and her sister's failure of sending him back to his home realm had probably infuriated him. She was a fool to think that they would be forgiven so easily. As she spread her wings in preparation to return home, she heard something move on the side of the hill.

After finally getting an afternoon of rest and relaxation, Matt had remembered something very important; he hadn't been to see Princess Luna in nearly a week. He had grown quite fond of the lunar princess and she seemed to equally enjoy his company. When he nearly reached the top of the hill they would meet on, he was relieved to see her still there. He thought she would've given up and gone home by now.

"Greetings, princess."

She folded her wings and looked over to the voice. To her surprise, it was who she least expected. She couldn't hide her happiness as a smile crept onto her face.

"Matthew Nabal? Greetings, indeed!" she responded, raising a hoof skyward.

His features seemed to relax after that, almost as if he was afraid of how she would react.

"I'm sorry I haven't dropped by in awhile, I've been... settling in."

"It is quite alright."

He sat down at the base of the tree without saying anything else. She moved closer to the tree, sitting down and facing him.

"I hope you are... not too upset with me." she said sheepishly.

"Hmm? What reason would I have to be upset?" he replied.

"I am partially to blame for your being... stranded here."

"I wouldn't call it 'stranded'. That implies I'm stuck, or trapped. It's more like... being cast away." he said, smiling.

Though dumbfounded, she felt relieved all the same.

"I see. How has... 'Settling in' gone for you?"

He took a moment to think about it. He was living in a library for no charge, with a princess, no less. He had also grown to know the village's resident party animal and the owner of a classy boutique. He had familiarized himself with Ponyville and the locals didn't seem to mind him much. Things were going well, if a bit boring.

"Pretty well. Everyone's exceedingly friendly around here, so I'm sure they're all used to me by now."

"I'm glad to hear it. Are you still staying with Twilight Sparkle?"

"I am. She's been... quite the generous host."

That she was, providing a home, food, and being insanely patient with his behavior.

"She has always been very helpful. I can think of many times when she went out of her way to assist me, as well." said Luna.

It was becoming more obvious to him why Twilight was gifted the title of 'princess'. She was a genuinely caring individual. Something still bugged him, though.

"I just wish somebody would've told me she was a princess. I... _could've_ said something insulting, and nobody would want that."

After an extended few seconds of silence, he turned to see Luna staring off into literal space. She refocused on him when she noticed his confused stare.

"M-my apologies, I just noticed your... dialect."

Dialect? What dialect? He had lived in New York his entire life, and was proud to have never picked up the accent. He evaluated his last statement in an attempt to figure out what she meant. When he couldn't see a problem, he decided to ask what it was.

"Beg pardon, but would you mind explaining?"

She let out a small laugh, the first he'd ever heard from her. Normally Luna would just be glum or bored-looking.

"It's just, well... Nopony says 'somebody' or the like anymore. It's kind of odd hearing somepony say it after so many years."

It took a moment to click in his mind.

"Oh... _oh..._"

Another giggle escaped from Luna as Matt frowned.

"I'm sorry; I just find it… amusing." She said, struggling to maintain composure.

"I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon."

She seemingly got over her sudden infection of laughter.

"I understand. I myself am still not… familiar with modern speech."

He felt some small comfort knowing he wasn't alone on that front.

They continued to chat for some time, Luna explaining the proper use of pony-fied words. Eventually conversation devolved into talk of current events, in which she continued to do most of the talking. Apparently after Twilight's coronation things had been quiet and uneventful. After awhile she stopped rather abruptly, seemingly staring at his eyes. He assumed she would soon take note of how tired he looked.

"Your eyes are weary. Is something wrong?" she said as if on cue.

She took a look around the night sky, noticing the position of the moon,

"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you out so late. You must be very tired."

He smiled warmly at her concern.

"Its fine, princess. I haven't been sleeping well recently, anyways."

Her expression only grew more concerned.

"What is it that troubles you? Perhaps I can assist."

He didn't see any harm in confiding in Luna, given their similar pasts.

"Well, for some time, I've been plagued with… nightmares. They began roughly six months ago and haven't ceased since."

Rather unexpectedly, Luna's expression became much happier.

"I believe I can help. As princess of the night, it is my duty to guard the dreams of my subjects. Would you like me to… take a look?"

His eyes shot wide open and his heart rate picked up. He had expected advice, not for her to offer to crawl around in his head.

"Uh, no, that's alright. I'll just, uh… do… something. A-anyway, thank you for the offer."

She stared at him blankly for a few seconds, clearly bewildered by his little outburst.

"Alright, then…"

He mentally released a relieved sigh. Though he would appreciate the help, he perceived the pony mind incapable of dealing with the horrors of the human world. Some things were better left unknown to them.

"In any case," Luna began, "You really should try to get some rest. I will… see you some other time." She said, smiling faintly.

"Very well. Until then, your majesty."

"Farewell, Matthew Nabal. May the stars guide your path." she said as she flew off.

He really should've told her that she didn't need to address him by his full name.

As he descended the hill and walked back onto Ponyville's dirt roads, he couldn't help but be bothered by something. Something unknown to him. Perhaps talk of his nightmares had him wondering why the same event replayed itself night after night. Or perhaps he had remembered why the nightmares began in the first place.

As he arrived at the library and slowly opened the door, he heard something much unexpected.

"Who?"

The lights were off in the main chamber save for a small candle on a desk near the window. There was also an owl perched on the forward edge of the desk, along with someone sat in front of it.

"Twilight?" asked Matt, struggling to make out the figure.

The figure turned towards him, revealing itself to be, in fact, Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh…" she yawns, "Welcome back."

He had never known Twilight to stay up this late. It had to be near three in the morning. He felt a twinge of guilt as he surmised the reason.

"You… waited up for me?" he asked.

She shuffled awkwardly in place.

"Well… yeah. I needed to make sure you got home alright."

There was a moment of silence in the near pitch-black room.

"B-besides, Owlowiscious helped finished up some last minute studying."

He could only assume she was talking about the Horned Owl perched on her desk. The little bird just sat there, occasionally blinking.

"I see." He said, approaching his bedroom door.

He stopped and looked back to her.

"Thank you, Twilight."

"You're very welcome." she replied, smiling warmly through the darkness.

With that, his door closed, and Twilight felt it time to head to bed herself.

Matt stared at the ceiling as he lay in his slightly-too-small bed. He felt bad for making Twilight stay up so late, but also felt a bit of unexplainable happiness, which made him feel worse. He thought it best to think about it tomorrow, provided he could get any sleep.


	15. Chapter 13

Knight of Equestria

Chapter 13: Frostbite

It was a quiet, chilly day in Ponyville. Clouds almost completely covered the sky, blocking most of the sun's warmth. The nearby forest was faring no better. The clouds overhead had near blotted out the sun, and the air seemed colder.

"This place feels… strange."

"I'd say it's more 'creepy' than strange. Or maybe 'diabolical'. Ooh, or maybe..,"

Matt and Pinkie Pie were trudging through the forest at the request of the Pegasus who walked quietly behind them, she had saddle bag strapped to her back.

"Thank you both so very much for helping me. This place can be scary when you're alone." She said softly.

"Of course we'd help, Fluttershy!" exclaimed Pinkie.

"Yes, of course. What exactly are we doing out here again?" said Matt, folding his arms in a desperate attempt to warm himself.

Though he couldn't say he was happy to be wandering through a deep dark forest, he also couldn't say he wasn't interested in the place. The Everfree Forest had earned quite a sinister reputation over the years. He had come across numerous tomes on the subject, and they all warned that it was an unnatural and dangerous place.

Besides, he couldn't bring himself to deny Fluttershy.

"Well, there's a fruit that only ripens around the end of autumn. I need some for a special treat I'm making for Angel bunny."

When she unexpectedly knocked on the library's door earlier that day and stammered out a request for help, he had no choice but to oblige. Twilight said it had probably taken her several days to work up the nerve. Apparently all of her friends were too busy to help out, so he was a last resort.

All of her friends except Pinkie Pie.

"What kinda treat? A cake? A pie? A tart? A super taste-errific rooty-tooty fruit salad?" she said, performing several indefinable gestures.

"A sundae, actually. And Angel is very particular about his food." replied Fluttershy, still gingerly walking behind them.

Given their greatly differing personalities, Matt was finding it hard to understand why they were friends, as the two ponies were near polar opposites. One would think Pinkie's random tendencies would drive such a shy person away.

As they continued wandering aimlessly, Matt had come to a realization; they were wandering aimlessly. Fluttershy had neglected to inform them of what exactly they were looking for.

"So… what kind of fruit are we looking for?" he said.

"Oh, well, they're small, and have little spines on them, and they're light blue in color." Fluttershy replied.

"Like Rainbow Dash?' asked Pinkie.

"No, Rainbow Dash is a sky blue color; these are more baby-blue."

At least now he knew what to keep an eye out for, even if he had little to go on. The group continued walking through the dimly lit forest.

"Hey, aren't those spooky ruins nearby?" said Pinkie, sporadically looking about.

"I think so. It's been such a long time since we were there." said Fluttershy thoughtfully.

"Ruins?" asked Matt.

"Yeah! It's where we faced off with Nightmare Moon." began Pinkie. "And then we all started floating, and Twilight was all, FWHIRRRN!" she closed and opened her eyes dramatically, before throwing herself on the ground, then standing back up quickly. "And then we went back to Ponyville and had this _crazy_ party…"

All movement had come to a halt as Matt looked back to her, trying to make any sense out of whatever she just said.

"Um… I think Twilight called it, 'The Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters'." added Fluttershy.

"Oh. I believe I've read something about that. It was the former site of the capital, correct?"

She nodded. It was interesting to know that such landmark was nearby. Perhaps he could take a look after they found whatever-it-was Fluttershy had them looking for.

"Hmm…" he said, formulating a plan. "I think it'd be faster if we split up. We could cover more ground."

"I didn't know you were such a super smart-smarty-smart pants! I'll go this way!" said Pinkie Pie as she bounded off in a random direction.

"I guess I'll go this way, then." said Matt as he walked the opposite way.

Neither of them had heard the disagreeing pleas of the yellow Pegasus who now sat alone on the main path. She called out to them, but they were far out of earshot within the density of the forest. She tried her best to stop trembling and take another step, and soon found herself slowly walking ahead.

Despite being alone in a dark forest known to be filled with dangerous creatures, Pinkie was enjoying herself. She was always up for a scavenger hunt.

As she continued merrily bouncing along in search of the fruit, she had begun hearing odd noises nearby. Though she probably should've ignored it, she found herself unable to resist and curiously drew closer to the source of the noises. Before long, she came across what looked like a large fallen branch in the middle of the path. As she attempted to hop over it, the branch sprang to life and revealed itself to be a large snake.

She let out a large gasp and began to run the other direction when she noticed it wasn't chasing her. It was going in the opposite direction. Still facing her. While she was still frightened, she decided to follow it. A backwards-slithering snake was a sight to behold.

Fluttershy meekly marched through the density of Everfree in desperate search of a small blue fruit. Nearly every step she took was followed by a minute of cowering over something she thought she heard. She eventually took a few steps forward and heard an oddly familiar sound nearby.

"Baaa."

Instead of cowering, she raised her head higher.

"That sounds like a poor sheep got lost in here…"

She began to delicately make her way over to the source of the sounds.

Matt was beginning to get frustrated. So far, he had come across a strange hut he didn't dare investigate, an old rickety bridge, and a tree of rainbow colored apples. But he still hadn't found a trace of the mysterious fruit he was there for. He had all but given up hope when he came across a small clearing. A hole in the clouds let some sunshine through, and the area was noticeably warmer. Mere seconds after approaching the clearing, a smile spread across his face as he spotted traces of blue amongst the greenery.

The clearing had but a lone bush in its center. And upon this bush, on tiny stems, hung spiky blue berries. He reached his hand out to grab one, and on contact quickly pulled it back. The small fruits were abnormally cold. So much so that it stung to touch them. He assumed that this was why Fluttershy had brought along something to carry them in.

He sighed. Now he'd have to wait for his companions to stumble along. He stood there, arms crossed, and debated on whether or not he should start yelling for them.

Pinkie Pie had nearly lost sight of her slithering target when she had to stop to catch her breath. A few seconds later, the familiar shape of Fluttershy came into view out of the canopy. She too, was out of breath.

"Did... you see… a sheep run through here?" she said, exasperated.

"No… but… I saw… that." Pinkie replied, pointing to the reverse-snake that had just left their view.

Fluttershy wasn't as confused as Pinkie Pie thought she'd be, instead wearing a face of fear.

"Oh no… where's Matt!?"

As if on cue, shouting was heard across the woodlands.

"Pinkie? Fluttershy? I think I found them. They're really cold and on this bush…"

"RRRRAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRR!"

The ponies turned their heads to see something large rushing towards the direction of their friend's shouts.

After letting out a rather unceremonious screech at the sound of an assumed roar, Matt turned to face its direction to see trees being felled, along with something large knocking them over. As the beast drew closer, the only thoughts racing through his mind were which direction was the most optimal to run away in. He couldn't make up his mind fast enough, however, as the creature burst out of the tree line and into the clearing.

"You have _got _to be kidding me!"

It mostly had the body of a lion, save for the goat head next to the lion's and a massive white feathered wingspan. Its tail flipped around and revealed itself to be a large snake.

At a loss for further words, Matt could only stand and watch as the snarling beast drew slowly closer.

The only thing he knew about dangerous creatures was that sudden movements were a bad thing.

"Matt!" he heard from across the clearing. "You have to move!"

"You're being slightly counterproductive!" he shouted back, looking past the hulking beast and seeing his friends.

He couldn't tell the difference between Pinkie and Fluttershy's voices from this distance, so he couldn't judge credibility on that little piece of advice. As the beast before him broke into a full on sprint, he quickly weighed his options and dove out of the way. Astoundingly, the monster didn't pursue, instead going after the berry bush.

He picked himself up and watched in awe as all three heads demolished the small bush. Though he couldn't exactly see what it was doing, he assumed it was devouring the poor thing. A few moments later his pony friends caught up to him.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay!? That thing almost gobbled you whole!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rushing to his side.

"Yeah… mostly." he replied, allowing himself to relax.

"You aren't hurt, are you? Oh, I should never have asked you to come along…" said Fluttershy whilst sadly looking towards the ground.

"No, I'm quite alright. Just a little… shaken up." he said in an attempt to cheer her up. "Anyway, it looks like our little journey was for nothing. I'm fairly certain that's the only bush of its kind anywhere near here."

Fluttershy looked toward the ground before putting on a bold face and slowly marching towards the ferocious beast.

"U-um, I don't think one little berry is worth it…" Matt stammered out in an attempt to stop her.

She poked its back, and the massive monstrosity turned towards her. Matt flinched and covered his eyes. He didn't want to see what would happen next. After seconds of nary an angered roar or terrified shriek, he slowly opened his eyes to see Fluttershy engaging the beast in conversation.

He leaned over to Pinkie Pie. "Uh… why isn't it tearing her into adorable tiny pieces?"

Pinkie giggled. "Fluttershy can communicate with animals, duh!"

While he wanted to ask what insanity she was spouting this time, he turned back to see the snake tail slowly dropping a few of the berries into Fluttershy's saddle bags.

"Thank you, sirs. Have a wonderful day." she said, smugly trotting back to them.

"Oh. I see. Uh… good work." he said in confusion.

She trotted past them and Matt and Pinkie were quick to follow behind.

"Way to go, Fluttershy!" shouted Pinkie as she bounced alongside her friend.

"Thanks. We're just lucky that Chimera remembered its manners."

"Manners?" asked Matt.

"Normally it's very hard to convince them to part with frostberries, but they were really nice about it."

"So…" began Matt, "They're herbivorous?"

"Not at all." Fluttershy responded. "Chimeras are omnivores."

"Omni-who now?" said Pinkie Pie.

"Omnivores. That means they eat most anything." answered Matt.

"Anything? Even us?" she asked.

Fluttershy's eyes seemed to widen as she looked back to the massive beast, still devouring the innocent bush.

"W-we should go." she said quietly.

The three exchanged looks and quietly began walking away.

The entire walk out of the forest was silent until the Chimera was spotted flying overhead, off into the distance. Everyone let out a breath and said their goodbyes, content to call it a day.

Matt arrived at the library sometime later, and was surprised to Spike sat alone in the main chamber, munching on gems.

"Hey Matt." He said in-between chomps.

"Hello Spike."

He took a look around and noticed something was missing. Something purple.

"Where's Twilight?"

"Upstairs. She hasn't come down all day."

He felt a twinge of concern for his Alicorn friend.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah, she just said she needed to, 'study intensively'. Whatever that means."

"Ah. I see. Good."

He took a seat opposite Spike and allowed himself to relax.

"So what did you do all day?" Spike asked.

"Well, I ran for life from a huge three headed monster, watched in horror as it annihilated a small berry bush, and then proceeded to have my life saved by the last person I'd expect. So, in short, I learned a few things today."

"Wow! Did you wanna, y'know, send a letter to the princess?"

"… No."

Spike looked immensely confused.

"Really? Whoa… that's the first time anypony's ever said that."

"I just don't see a point in pestering her with something so trivial."


End file.
